^c 


POST-MEDLEVAL    PREACHEES. 


LONDON  : 

GILBERT  AND  EIVINGTON,   PRINTERS, 

ST.  JOHN'S  SQUARE. 


omc  account 
of  tl?e  most 
cekbrated 


|lo8t  mediaeval 
flTcacbcrs, 


POST-MEDIiEVAL  PEEA0HER8: 

SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THE 

MOST  CELEBRATED  PREACHERS  OP  THE  15th,  16th,  &  17th 

CENTURIES; 

WITH  OUTLINES  OP  THEIR  SERMONS,  AND 

SPECIMENS  OP  THEIR  STYLE. 


S.  BARING-GOULD,  M.A, 

If 

AUTHOE   OF 
"ICELAND:   ITS   SCENES   AND   SAGAS." 


Honliou, 
KIVINGTONS,  WATEKLOO  PLACE ; 

HIGH   STREET,  1  TEIKITY   STREET, 

1865. 


^3 


PEEFACE. 

The  following  work  is  of  Theological,  Biographical, 
and  Bibliographical  interest. 

It  has  been  written  with  the  view  of  bringing  a 
class  of  Preachers  before  the  public  who  are  scarcely 
known  even  by  name  to  the  theological  student,  but 
who  are  certainly  remarkable  for  their  originality, 
depth,  and  spirituality. 

Among  the  numerous  Preachers  of  the  three  centuries 
under  review,  it  has  been  difficult  to  decide  which  to 
select,  but  those  chosen  are  believed  to  be  the  most 
characteristic. 

The  Author  returns  thanks  to  Mr.  John  Mozley  Stark, 
of  Fit zwilliam- street,  Strand,  for  his  assistance  in  the 
compilation  of  this  Work,  by  the  loan  of  some  costly 
and  scarce  volumes  not  in  the  Author's  library. 

The  title-page,  and  the  Dance  of  Death  at  the  head  of 
this  page,  are  taken  from  the  Sermons  of  Santius  Porta, 
printed  and  published  hj  J.  Cleyn,  Lyons,  4to.  1513. 


47.saa,". 


CONTENTS. 


Introduction- 
Gabriel  BlEL 
Jean  Rauhn 
Meffreth 
Matthias  Faber 
Philip  von  Hartung 
Joseph  ue  Barzia 
jAcauEs  Marchant 
John  Osorius 
Maximilian  Deza 
Francis  Coster     . 
Index 


page 
I 

CI 


81 
100 
UG 
134 
155 
177 
192 
206 
237 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  history  of  preaching  begins  with  the  first  sermon 
ever  delivered,  the  first  and  the  best,  that  of  our 
blessed  Lord  on  the  mount  in  Galilee. 

The  declamations  of  the  ancient  prophets  difier 
widely  in  character  from  the  sermons  of  Christian 
orators,  and  in  briefly  tracing  the  history  of  sacred 
elocution,  we  shall  put  them  on  one  side. 

For  the  true  principles  of  preaching  are  enshrined  in 
that  glorious  mountain  sermon.  From  it  we  learn  what 
a  Christian  oration  ought  to  be.  We  see  that  it  should 
contain  instruction  in  Gospel  truths,  illustrations  from 
natural  objects,  warnings,  and  moral  exhortations,  and 
that  considerable  variety  of  matter  may  be  introduced, 
80  long  as  the  essential  unity  of  the  piece  be  not  in- 
terfered with. 

In  this  consists  the  difierence  between  Christ's  model 
sermon,  and  the  exhortations  of  those  who  went  before 
Him. 

Jonah  preached  to  the  Mnevites,  "  Yet  forty  days,  and 


)Z  :    .;    ',   ,;    '       •    ,.  .  riNTRODUCTION. 

Mneveh  shall  be  overthrown,"  and  that  was  his  only- 
subject. 

•  John  Baptist  preached  in  the  wilderness,  and  on  one 
point  only,  "  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord." 

They  confined  themselves  to  a  single  topic,  and  that 
purely  subjective,  whereas  a  Christian  sermon  is  to  be 
both  objective  and  subjective.  It  should  be  like  Jacob's 
ladder,  reaching  from  God's  throne  to  man's  earth,  with 
its  subject-matter  constantly  ascending  and  descending, 
leading  men  up  to  God,  and  showing  God  by  His  In- 
carnation descending  to  man. 

A  Spanish  bishop  of  the  seventeenth  century  thus 
speaks  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  model  for  all 
sermons,  and  the  pattern  upon  which  many  ancient 
preachers  framed  their  discourses. 

He  quotes  St.  John,  "  I  saw  in  the  right  hand  of  Him 
that  sat  on  the  throne  a  book  written  within  and  with- 
out, sealed  with  seven  seals;"  and  this  book,  he  says,  is 
the  life  of  our  blessed  Lord,  written  with  the  characters 
of  all  virtues — within,  in  His  most  holy  soul ;  without,  in 
His  sacred  body.  It  is  sealed  with  seven  seals.  St. 
John  continues,  "  I  saw  a  strong  angel  proclaiming  with 
a  loud  voice.  Who  is  worthy  to  open  the  book,  and  to 
loose  the  seals  thereof?  And  no  man  in  heaven,  nor 
in  earth,  neither  under  the  earth,  was  able  to  open  the 
book,  neither  to  look  thereon." 

"Who,  then,  was  worthy  to  open  that  book  ?  None 
save  Christ  Himself.  He  opened  it  in  the  Sermon  on 
the  Mount,  wherein  He  taught  all  men  to  follow  and 
observe  the  virtues  which  He  practised  Himself. 

Hearken  and  consider  as  He  opens  each  seal :  — 


INTRODUCTION.  6 

"  Blessed  are  tlie  poor  in  spirit :"  and  behold  Him  at 
the  opening  of  this  first  seal,  poor  and  of  no  reputation. 

"  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn :"  and  this  second  seal 
displays  Him  offering  up  prayers  for  us,  "  with  strong 
crying  and  tears." 

"  Blessed  are  the  meek  :"  and  we  see  Him  meek  and 
lowly  of  heart,  before  the  judgment-seat  answering  not 
a  word. 

**  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  right- 
eousness :"  this  fourth  seal  exhibits  Him  whose  meat  it 
was  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  Him,  and  who  on 
the  cross  could  still  cry,  "  I  thirst,'*  in  the  consuming 
thirst  for  the  salvation  of  our  souls. 

"  Blessed  are  the  merciful  :'*  and  "  His  mercy  is  over 
all  His  works.'* 

"  Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart :"  and  who  was  purer 
than  the  Virgin  Son  of  the  Virgin  Mother  ? 

And  the  seventh  seal  opens  with :  "  Blessed  are  the 
peacemakers  ;"  showing  us  Christ  who  made  '*  peace  by 
the  blood  of  His  cross  "  between  Jew  and  Gentile,  be- 
tween God  and  man. 

Every  sermon  preached  since  that  mighty  discourse, 
which  opened  the  life  of  Christ  to  man,  what  has  it 
been,  but  a  turning  over  of  leaf  after  leaf  in  that  most 
mysterious  book  ? 

There  is  something  very  striking  in  the  accidents  of 
that  first  sermon,  that  fountain  whence  every  rill  of 
sacred  eloquence  has  flowed  to  water  the  whole  earth ; 
delivered,  not  in  the  gloom  of  the  temple,  in  the  shadow 
of  the  ponderous  roof,  like  the  burden  of  the  law  to 
weigh  it  down,  but  in  the  open  air,  free  and  elastic  like 

B  2 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

the  Gospel,  on  a  mountain-top,  in  the  soft  breeze  be- 
neath an  unclouded  sun  ;  the  Preacher  standing  among 
mountain  flowers,  meet  emblems  of  the  graces  which 
should  spring  up  from  His  word,  sown  broadcast  over 
the  world.  We  can  picture  the  scene  :  the  twelve  around 
Him,  bowed  in  wonder,  like  the  sheaves  of  the  brethren 
bending  before  the  sheaf  of  Joseph  ;  and  beyond,  a  great 
multitude  with  eager  uplifted  faces,  a  multitude  hun- 
gering and  thirsting  after  righteousness,  drawing  in 
the  gracious  words  which  proceeded  from  Christ's  lips ; 
whilst  far  below,  gently  ripples  and  brightly  twinkles 
the  blue  Galilean  lake,  over  the  waters  of  which  that 
Preacher  walked,  and  the  waves  of  which  by  one  word 
He  stilled.  We  may  say  with  the  angel,  "  The  waters 
which  thou  sawest  are  peoples,  and  multitudes,  and 
nations,  and  tongues"  (Bev.  xvii,  15),  and  see  in  them 
a  type  of  the  world  once  tossing  in  the  darkness  and 
terror  of  a  night  of  ignorance  without  God,  but  now  to 
be  calmed  in  the  daylight  of  His  presence,  and  lulled 
at  the  sound  of  His  voice. 

The  following  analysis  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount, 
taken  chiefly  from  Dr.  J.  Forbes,  will  give  some  idea  of 
its  arrangement : — 

Introduction. 

A.  The  character  of  the  true  members  of  Christ's 
kingdom  diametrically  opposed  to  the  expecta- 
tions and  character  of  the  world. 

The  Beatitudes,  or  progressive    stages   of 

Christian  life  (verses  3 — 10). 
The  reward  of  those  who  keep  the  beatitudes 


INTRODUCTION.  0 

in   this   world    (11)    and  in  the  next 
(12).   _ 
B.  The  duty  of  Christ's  servants  towards  the  world 
(13—16). 

The  Subject. 
"  Christ  is  the  end  of  the  law  for  righteousness." 


(Ver.  17.)  "Think  not  that  I  am  come  to  destroy 
the  law  and  the  prophets." 

A.  (Negative  proposition)  I  am  not  come  to 

destroy, 

B.  (Positive  proposition)  but  to  fulfil. 
Negative  proposition  explained  (18,  19). 
Positive  proposition  explained  (20). 

Christ  then  shows  how  that  the  law  is  made  of  none 
efiect  by  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  and  not  by 
Himself. 

II. 

A.  The  Teaching  of  Christ  contrasted  with 
that  of  the  Scribes.  Perfect  form  of 
the  Second  Table  of  the  Law. 

1.  Law  of  Individual   Life   (YI  Commandment,  V 

Beatitude)  (21—26). 

2.  Law    of    Family   Life    (YII  Commandment,   YI 

Beatitude)  (27—32). 

3.  Central    Law    of    Truth     (IX     Commandment) 

(33—37). 

4.  Law  of  National  Life  (YIII  Commandment) : 

B  3 


b  INTRODUCTION. 

On   its   Negative  or   Passive  Side   (III  Beati- 
tude) (38—42). 
On  its  Positive  or  Active  Side  (YII  Beatitude) 

(43-48). 

III. 
The  Practice  required  by  Christ  of  His  Disciples 
contrasted  with  the  Practice  of  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees. 
First  Defect  of  Pharisaical  Righteousness,  Osten- 
tation, or  Hypocrisy.  God  must  be  regarded  in 
all  our  Acts  (chap.  vi.  1). 

a.  In  the  Duties  owed  to  our  [N^eighbours 

(2-4). 
]3.  In  the  Duties  owed  to  God  (5 — 15). 
y.  In  the  Duties  owed  to  Ourselves  (16 — 18). 
Second  Defect  of  Pharisaical  Righteousness,  World- 
liness.     God  must  be  regarded  in  all  our  Affec- 
tions (19—34). 
Third  Defect  of  Pharisaical  Righteousness,  Spiritual 
Pride.     God  must  be  regarded  in  all  our  Judg- 
ments (chap.  vii.  1,  2). 
We  must  acquire  Discernment  to  judge, 
a.  How  to  give  (3 — 5). 
h.  To  whom  to  give  (6). 
c.  What  to  give  (7—12). 

Conclusion. 

The  conclusion  sums  up,  in  three  practical  exhorta- 
tions, the  whole  sermon.  Such  being  the  spirit  of  the 
Law  and  the  Prophets,  and  the  strictness  of  the  right- 
eousness required, 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

I,  Beware  of  Supineness  (13,  14). 
II.  Beware  of  false  Teachers  (15—20). 
III.  Beware  of  empty  Professions  (21 — 27). 

The  other  sermons  given  in  Holy  Scripture  are  those 
of  St.  Peter,  St.  Stephen,  and  St.  Paul ;  in  all  of  which 
arrangement  is  discernible. 

But  passing  from  the  apostolic  age  to  those  suc- 
ceeding it,  we  find  that  preachiug  consisted  chiefly  in 
scriptural  exposition,  the  only  order  observed  being 
that  of  the  sacred  text.  Such  was  the  nature  of  the 
sermons  of  St.  Pantaenus  (a.d.  180),  the  Sicilian  Bee, 
so  named  from  the  way  in  which  he  gathered  honey 
from  the  flowers  of  prophetic  and  apostolic  fields.  He 
is  said  to  have  travelled  preaching  the  Gospel  as  far 
as  India,  whence  he  brought  back  a  Hebrew  copy 
of  St.  Matthew's  Gospel,  left  by  St.  Bartholomew. 
St.  Clement  of  Alexandria  and  Origen  succeeded  him  ; 
adding  polish  and  refinement  to  the  matter.  These 
great  men,  so  well  versed  in  the  history  of  the  Old  and 
'New  Testaments,  were  also  probably  masters  of  the  art 
of  preaching,  though  but  few  of  their  genuine  homilies 
are  extant  by  which  we  might  judge. 

In  Africa,  St.  Cyprian  preached  with  eloquence  and 
vigour.  A  few  sermons  and  homilies  of  St.  Athanasius 
remain ;  and  fifty  sermons  preached  by  the  Macarii  to 
the  monks  in  the  Thebaid.  St.  Ephraem  Syrus,  Deacon 
of  Edessa,  was  a  voluminous  writer,  and  an  eloquent 
preacher.  Sozomen  observes  of  him,  that,  though  he 
had  never  studied,  yet  he  had  so  many  beauties  in  his 
style,  and  so  many  sublime  thoughts,  that  the  traces 
of  his  eloquence  are  discernible  through  a  translation. 

b4 


8  INTRODUCTION. 

St.  Gregory  Nyssen  says  that  lie  had  read  and  medi- 
tated more  than  any  one  else  on  the  Bible;  that  he 
had  written  expositions  upon  all  Holy  Scripture ;  and 
that  he  had,  besides,  composed  many  fervid  and  touch- 
ing exhortations.  "  All  his  discourses,"  says  he,  "  are 
filled  with  weeping  and  compassionate  expressions, 
which  are  calculated  to  move  even  the  hardest  hearts. 
For  who  that  is  proud  would  not  become  the  humblest 
of  men,  on  reading  his  sermon  on  Humility?  Who 
would  not  be  inflamed  with  Divine  fire,  by  reading 
his  treatise  on  Charity?  Who  would  not  wish  to  be 
pure  in  heart,  when  reading  the  praises  he  has  lavished 
on  virginity  ?  Who  would  not  be  alarmed  on  hearing 
his  discourse  on  the  Last  Judgment ;  wherein  he  has 
described  it  so  vividly,  that  not  a  touch  can  be  added 
by  way  of  improvement  ?  God  gave  him  so  profound 
a  wisdom,  that,  though  he  had  a  wonderful  facility  of 
speaking,  yet  he  could  not  always  find  words  to  express 
the  crowd  of  ideas  which  flowed  into  his  mind." 

Every  one  knows  what  was  the  success  of  the  homi- 
lies of  St.  Augustine,  of  the  two  Gregories,  of  St.  Chry- 
sostom,  St.  Basil,  St.  Ambrose.  "  There  were  giants  in 
those  days."  We  will  not  speak  of  them  now,  as  their 
lives  and  their  works  are  well  known.  Suffice  it  to 
say,  that  they  spoke  so  as  to  suit  the  capacities  of  their 
hearers.  Sometimes  they  preached  without  prepara- 
tion, and  in  a  homely  manner ;  seeking  rather  to  in- 
struct than  to  please. 

St.  Cyprian,  St.  Ambrose,  and  St.  Leo,  among  the 
Latins,  pass  with  justice  for  the  most  eloquent  orators 
of  their  time.    St.  Augustine  is  more  simple  than  they  ; 


INTRODUCTION.  9 

but  he  preaclied  in  the  small  town  of  Hippo,  to  shop- 
keepers and  labourers. 

In  the  age  after  Augustine,  perhaps  the  most  famous 
preacher  was  Salvian  (390 — 484),  surnamed  the  Master 
of  Bishops,  not  that  he  ever  was  a  Bishop  himself,  but 
because  so  many  of  his  pupils  at  Lerins  became  even- 
tually prelates  in  Gaul.  Among  the  most  eminent  of 
these  was  St.  Csesarius  of  Aries  (470—542),  son  of  the 
Count  of  Chalons.  He  passed  his  youth  in  the  shadow 
of  the  cloister  of  Lerins,  and  left  it  only  to  succeed  the 
first  fathers  of  that  peaceful  isle,  Honoratus  and  Hilary, 
upon  the  archiepiscopal  throne  of  Aries.  He  was  for 
half  a  century  the  most  illustrious  and  most  influ- 
ential of  the  Bishops  of  Southern  Gaul.  He  presided 
over  four  Councils,  and  directed  the  great  controversies 
of  his  time.  He  was  passionately  beloved  by  his  flock, 
whose  hearts  he  swayed  with  his  fervid  eloquence,  of 
which  130  still  extant  sermons  bear  the  indelible  stamp. 
Another  of  the  early  preachers  of  Gaul  was  St.  Eucher 
(434),  whom  Bossuet  calls  "the  Great;"  and  he,  too, 
issued  from  that  great  nursery  of  saints,  the  Isle  of  Lerins. 

Valerian  of  Cemele  (450),  has  left  behind  him  sermons 
plain  and  sound,  but  devoid  of  eloquence.  Basil  of 
Seleucia  was  a  preacher  of  fame  in  the  East.  Photius 
says,  that  "his  discourse  is  figurative  and  lofty.  He 
observes,  as  much  as  any  man,  an  even  tone.  He  has 
united  clearness  with  agreeableness,  but  his  tropes  and 
figures  are  very  troublesome.  By  these  he  wearies  his 
hearer  always,  and  creates  in  him  a  bad  opinion  of  him- 
self, as  an  ignorant  person,  incapable  of  blending  art 
with  nature,    and    powerless  to    keep   from    excess." 

b5 


10  INTRODUCTION, 

Photius  is  rather  too  hard  on  Basil,  whose  sermons  are 
really  stirring  and  good.  The  discourses  of  Andrew  of 
Crete  (740)  are  also  excellent ;  those  of  John  Damascene 
are  poor. 

Turning  to  England,  we  shall  find  Bede  instructing 
our  Anglo-Saxon  forefathers  in  the  faith  of  Christ  and 
in  the  mysteries  of  the  Gospel;  and  Alfric,  in  990,  com- 
piling homilies  in  the  vulgar  tongue,  to  the  number  of 
eighty,  and,  among  others,  that  famous  one  on  the 
doctrine  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  which  Matthew  Parker 
could  flourish  in  the  face  of  his  Romish  opponents, 
saying,  "  What  now  is  become  of  your  boasted  argu- 
ment of  apostolic  tradition  ?  see  here  that  the  novelties 
with  which  you  charge  us  are  older  than  the  doctrines 
which  you  oppose  to  them  ! " 

Wulfstan,  Archbishop  of  York  (1003),  is  known 
through  one  remarkable  sermon,  "  Sermo  Lupi  ad  Anglos 
quando  Dani  maxime  persecuti  sunt  eos." 

We  have  now  arrived  at  the  true  middle  ages,  and  I 
will  say  but  little  of  the  history  of  preaching  in  that 
period,  as  it  has  already  been  treated  of  by  that  distin- 
guished ecclesiastical  scholar.  Dr.  Neale,  in  his  volume 
"Mediaeval  Sermons."  And,  indeed,  but  for  his  labours, 
the  bulk  of  this  introduction  would  necessarily  have 
been  extended  beyond  its  due  limits,  for  the  middle  ages 
teemed  with  preachers,  and  preachers  very  striking  for 
their  originality  and  depth.  The  monasteries  were 
great  nurseries  of  preachers,  sending  forth  continually 
multitudes  of  carefully  trained  and  orthodox  teachers. 
These  preaching  monks  and  friars  exercised  an  immense 
influence  over  the  uneducated  laity,  and  for  long  they 


I]STRODIICTIOX.  11 

worked  in  harmony  with  the  secular  clergy.  Let  me 
give  one  instance  from  a  chronicler  of  the  thirteenth 
century,  Jacques  de  Yitry,  who  has  left  us  some  interest- 
ing details  concerning  a  very  celebrated  preacher  of  his 
time,  Foulque  de  Neuilly.  "  He  excited  to  such  an 
extent  all  people,  not  only  of  the  lower  orders,  but 
kings  and  princes  as  well,  by  his  few  and  simple  words, 
that  none  dare  oppose  him.  People  rushed  in  crowds 
from  distant  countries  to  hear  him,  and  to  see  the 
miracles  wrought  by  Grod  through  him.  ...  Those 
who  were  able  to  tear  and  preserve  the  smallest 
fragment  of  his  dress,  esteemed  themselves  happy. 
Besides,  as  his  clothes  were  in  great  request,  and  as  the 
multitude  were  constantly  tearing  them  off  him,  he  was 
obliged  to  have  a  new  cassock  nearly  every  day.  And 
as  the  mob  commonly  pressed  upon  him  in  an  intolera- 
ble manner,  he  struck  the  most  troublesome  with  a  stick 
he  held,  and  drove  them  back,  or  he  would  have  been 
suffocated  by  the  throng  eager  to  touch  him.  And, 
although  he  sometimes  wounded  those  whom  he  struck, 
yet  they  were  by  no  means  offended,  and  did  not  mur- 
mur, but,  in  the  excess  of  their  devotion,  and  the 
strength  of  their  faith,  kissed  their  own  blood,  as 
though  it  had  been  sanctified  by  the  man  of  God. 

"  One  day,  as  a  man  was  engaged  in  ripping  his 
cassock  with  considerable  violence,  he  spoke  to  the 
crowd  thus,  *  Do  not  rend  my  garments,  which  have 
never  been  blessed  :  see !  I  will  give  my  benediction  to 
the  clothes  of  this  man.'  Then  he  made  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  and  at  once  the  people  tore  to  rags  the  man's 
dress,  so  that  each  obtained  a  shred." 

b6 


12  INTRODUCTION. 

Pass  we  now  to  the  wane  of  sacred  eloquence  at  th.e 
close  of  the  fourteenth  century.  By  this  time  pulpit 
oratory  had  become  sadly  debased,  though  still  a  few 
noble  orators,  as  Savonarola  at  Florence,  Louis  of 
Granada  in  Spain,  and  Philip  of  Narni  at  Rome,  shone 
as  lights. 

In  the  place  of  earnestness  came  affectation:  the 
natural  movement  of  the  body,  when  the  feelings  of 
the  preacher  are  roused,  was  replaced  by  studied  ges- 
tures ;  the  object  of  the  orator  was  rather  the  exhibition 
of  his  own  learning  than  the  edification  of  his  hearers, 
and  the  lack  of  matter  in  sermons  was  supplied  by  pro- 
fanity and  buffoonery.  Preachers  became  the  slaves  of 
rule,  their  sermons  were  stretched  on  the  same  Pro- 
crustean bed,  and  were  clipped  or  distorted  to  fit  the 
required  shape.  By  this  means  all  natural  eloquence 
was  stifled  ;  every  action  of  the  body,  every  modulation 
of  the  voice,  was  according  to  canon ;  and  to  such  an 
extent  did  this  run,  that  some  preachers  made  it  a  matter 
of  rule  to  cough  at  fixed  intervals,  believing  that  they 
were  thereby  adding  grace  to  their  declamation.  In 
some  old  MS.  sermons,  marginal  notes  to  the  following 
effect  maybe  found :  "  Sit  down — stand  up — mop  your- 
self— ahem !  ahem  ! — now  shriek  like  a  devil." 

Such  is  a  sermon  preached  by  Oliver  Maillard,  and 
printed  with  these  marginal  notes  at  Bruges  in  1500, 
black  letter,  quarto.  Balzac  describes  a  lesson  given  by 
an  aged  doctor  to  a  young  bachelor  on  the  art  of 
preaching,  and  it  consisted  of  this— "Bang  the  pulpit; 
look  at  the  crucifix  with  rolling  eyes ;  say  nothing  to 
the  purpose, — and  you  will  be  a  great  preacher." 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

Throughout  the  fourteenth  century  sermons  were 
for  the  most  part  hammered  out  on  the  same  miserable 
block.  The  same  text  perhaps  served  for  an  Advent  or 
a  Lenten  series.  Maillard  in  the  next  century  preached 
sixty- eight  sermons  on  the  text,  "  Come  up .  .  .  unto  the 
mount "  (Exod.  xxxiv.  2) ;  and  he  took  for  his  text 
throughout  Advent,  Christmas,  and  the  festivals  imme- 
diately following — in  all  forty-four  sermons — the  words 
of  St.  James  i.  21,  '*  Wherefore  lay  apart  all  filthiness 
and  superfluity  of  naughtiness,  and  receive  with  meek- 
ness the  engrafted  word,  which  is  able  to  save  your 
souls." 

The  preacher  having  given  out  his  text,  pronounced 
a  long  exordium,  in  no  way  to  the  purpose,  containing 
some  scriptural  allegory,  some  supposed  fact  from 
natural  history,  or  a  story  extracted  from  a  classic 
historian.  He  then  returned  to  his  text  and  began  to 
discuss  two  questions,  one  in  theology,  the  other  in  civil 
or  canon  law,  remotely  connected  with  it.  On  the 
theological  question  he  quoted  the  sentiments  of  the 
schoolmen,  on  the  other  he  cited  legal  authorities. 

He  then  proceeded  to  divide  his  subject  under  heads, 
each  of  which  was  again  subdivided,  and  each  sub- 
division was  supported  by  the  authority  of  a  classic 
philosopher,  and  illustrated  by  an  anecdote  often  point- 
less, sometimes  indecent.  Indeed,  to  such  an  extent 
were  classic  allusions  and  quotations  in  vogue,  that 
the  story  is  told  of  a  peasant  who  had  "  sat  under  "  his 
priest  for  long,  and  had  heard  much  of  Apollo  in  the 
Sunday  discourses,  bequeathing  his  old  cart-horse  "to 
M.  Polio,  of  whom  the  cure  had  said  such  fine  things.'' 


14  INTRODUCTION. 

This  absurd  aifectation  continued  long  the  bane  of 
the  pulpit.     In  the  sixteenth  century  a  monk  preach- 
ing on  the  feast  of  St.  Peter,  saw  no  impropriety  in 
mingling    mythology    with    Gospel    history,    and    in 
quoting  the  fable  of  Daphne  to  illustrate  the  denial 
of  the  Apostle.     "  The  nymph  of  the  wood,"  said  he, 
"  being  pursued  by  the  shepherd  Apollo,  fled  over  hill 
and  dale,  till  she  reached  the  foot  of  a  rock  up  which 
she  could  not  climb,  and,  seeing  herself  at  the  mercy 
of  her  pursuer,  she  began  to  weep, — in  like  manner, 
St.  Peter  seeing  himself  arrested  by  the  rock   of  his 
denial,    *  wept    bitterly.'  "      And    Camus,    Bishop    of 
Belley,  who  flourished  in  the  beginning  of  the  seven- 
teenth  century,    could   use    such   words   as    these   on 
Christmas  Day : — "  We  now,   skimming  over   the  sea 
in  our  boat,  come  to  behold  the  Infant  born  into  the 
world  to   conquer  it.      He   is   our   Bellerophon,   who, 
mounted  on  the  Pegasus  of  His  humanity,  winged  by 
union  with  the  Deity,  has  overcome  the  world,  '  con- 
fidite,  ego  vici  mundum ; '  the  world,  a  true  and  strange 
Chimera !    lion  as   to   its   front   by  its   pride,  dragon 
behind  in  its  avarice,  goat  in  the  midst  by  its  pollu- 
tion !  He  is  our  youthful  Horatius  overcoming  the  three 
Curiatii  of  ambition,  avarice,  and  sensuality !     He  is 
our  Hercules,  who  has  beaten  down  the  triple-throated 
Cerberus,  and  who  has  in  His  cradle  strangled  serpents. 
The  one  crushed  only  two,  but  ours  has  destroyed  three, 
the  vanity  of  the  world  by  His  subjection,  the  avarice 
of  the  world  by  His  poverty,  the  delights  of  the  world 
by  His  mortification." 

Sometimes  preachers,  carried  away  by  their  feelings, 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

gave  vent  to  the  most  violent  and  indecorous  expres- 
sions. As,  for  instance,  the  Pere  Guerin  preaching 
on  the  danger  of  reading  improper  literature,  could  not 
refrain  from  using  the  following  language  with  refer- 
ence to  Theophilus  Yiaud,  who  had  written  a  very 
immoral  poem,  "La  Parnasse  des  Pontes,"  1625,  for 
which  he  and  his  book  were  condemned  to  be  burned. 
"  Cursed  be  the  spirit  which  dictated  such  thoughts," 
howled  the  preacher.  **  Cursed  be  the  hand  which 
wrote  them !  Woe  to  the  publisher  who  had  them 
printed !  Woe  to  those  who  have  read  them  !  Woe  to 
those  who  have  ever  made  the  author's  acquaintance  ! 
But  blessed  be  Monsieur  le  premier  President,  blessed 
be  M.  le  Procureur  General,  who  have  purged  our 
Paris  of  this  plague !  You  are  the  originator  of  the 
plague  in  this  city ;  I  would  say,  after  the  Pev.  Father 
Garasse,  that  you  are  a  scoundrel,  a  great  calf !  but  no  ! 
shall  I  call  you  a  calf?  Yeal  is  good  when  boiled, 
veal  is  good  when  roast,  calfskin  is  good  for  binding 
books ;  but  yours,  miscreant !  is  only  fit  to  be  well 
grilled,  and  that  it  will  be,  to-morrow.  You  have 
raised  the  laugh  at  monks,  and  now  the  monks  will 
laugh  at  you." 

Preachers  have  been  quite  unable  at  times  to  resist 
the  chance  of  saying  a  bon  mot.  Father  Andre,  being 
required  to  give  out  before  his  sermon  that  a  collection 
would  be  made  for  the  dower  of  a  young  lady  who 
wished  to  take  the  veil,  said — "Gentlemen,  your  alms 
are  solicited  in  behalf  of  a  young  lady  who  is  not  rich 
enough  to  take  the  vow  of  poverty."  I  believe  it  is 
of  the  same  man  that  the  story  is  told,  that  he  halted 


16  INTKODUCTION. 

suddenly  in  the  midst  of  a  sermon  to  rebuke  tlie  con- 
gregation for  indulging  in  conversation  whilst  he  was 
speaking.  One  good  woman  took  this  in  dudgeon,  and 
standing  up,  assured  the  preacher  that  the  buzz  of 
voices  came  from  the  men's  side  of  the  church,  and  not 
from  that  reserved  for  the  females.  "  I  am  delighted 
to  hear  it,"  replied  the  preacher,  *'the  talking  will 
then  be  sooner  over.'*  This  reminds  me  of  Gabriel 
Barlette's  dictum,  "Pone  quatuor  mulieres  ab  una 
parte,  decern  viros  ab  alia,  plus  garrulabunt  mulieres." 

Kings  even  have  been  publicly  rebuked  for  some- 
thing of  the  same  kind.  Every  one  knows  that  Made- 
moiselle d'Entragues,  Marchioness  of  Yerneuil,  was 
mistress  of  Henry  IV.  One  day  that  the  Jesuit  father, 
Gonthier,  was  preaching  at  St.  Gervais,  the  king 
attended  with  Mademoiselle  d'Entragues,  and  a  suite 
of  court  ladies.  During  the  sermon  the  marchioness 
whispered  and  made  signs  to  the  king,  trying  to  make 
him  laugh.  The  preacher,  indignant  at  this  conduct, 
turned  to  Henry  and  said,  "Sire,  never  again  permit 
yourself  to  come  to  hear  the  word  of  God  surrounded 
by  a  seraglio,  and  thus  to  offer  so  great  a  scandal  in  a 
holy  place."  The  marchioness  was  furious,  and  en- 
deavoured to  obtain  the  punishment  of  the  preacher, 
but  Henry,  instead  of  consenting,  had  the  good  sense 
to  show  that  he  was  not  ofi'ended,  by  returning  to  hear 
Father  Gonthier  preach  on  the  following  day.  He 
took  him  aside  however,  and  said,  "My  father,  fear 
nothing.  I  thank  you  for  your  reproof;  only,  for 
Heaven's  sake,  don't  give  it  in  public  again." 

I  have  said  that  the  preachers  of  the  fifteenth  cen- 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

tury  often  degenerated  into  the  burlesque,  in  order  to 
attract  the  attention  they  failed  to  rivet  by  the  excellence 
of  their  matter.  Unfortunately  this  fault  was  not  confined 
to  the  fifteenth  century,  but  we  find  it  again  and  again 
appearing  among  inferior  preachers  of  the  next  two 
centuries.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  monasteries 
had  then  fallen  from  their  high  estate  through  the  into- 
lerable oppression  of  the  "in  commendam,"  and  that 
learning  was  far  less  cultivated  than  in  an  earlier  age. 
The  popular  friar-preachers,  the  hedge-priests,  who  took 
with  the  vulgar,  were  much  of  the  stamp  of  modern  dis- 
senting ministers,  men  of  little  education  but  consider- 
able assurance  ;  they  spoke  in  the  dialect  of  the  people, 
they  understood  their  troubles,  they  knew  their  tastes ; 
and,  at  the  same  time,  like  all  people  who  have  got  a 
smattering  of  knowledge,  they  loved  to  display  it,  and 
in  displaying  it  consisted  much  of  their  grotesqueness. 
The  following  sketch  of  one  of  these  discourses  is  given 
by  Father  Labat,  in  his  "  Voyages  en  Espagne  et  en 
Italic,  Amst.,  1731,  8  vols,  in  12mo."  He  says  that  he 
was  present  on  the  15th  September,  1709,  at  a  sermon 
preached  in  the  open  air  under  a  clump  of  olives  near 
Tivoli. 

The  day  was  the  Feast  of  the  Name  of  Mary.  "  Those 
who  did  the  honours  of  the  feast  placed  me,  politely, 
right  in  front  of  the  preacher.  He  appeared,  after 
having  kept  us  waiting  sufficiently  long,  mounted  the 
pulpit,  sat  down  without  ceremony,  examined  his 
audience  in  a  grave  and  perhaps  slightly  contemptuous 
manner ;  and  then,  after  a  few  moments'  silence,  he 
rose,  took  o£P  his  cap,  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  on  his 


18  INTRODUCTION. 

brow,  then  on  Ms  moutli,  and  then  on  his  heart,  which 
after  the  old  system  he  supposed  to  be  on  his  left  side; 
lastly,  he  made  a  fourth  sign,  which  covered  up  all  the 
others,  since  it  extended  from  his  head  to  the  pit  of  his 
stomach.  This  operation  complete,  he  sat  down,  put  on 
his  cap,  and  began  his  discourse  with  these  words,  '  I 
beheld  a  great  book  written  within  and  without,'  which 
he  explained  thus  :  Ecco  il  verissimo  ritrato  di  Maria 
sempre  Yirgine;  that  is  to  say,  Behold  the  veritable 
portrait  of  the  ever  Virgin  Mary.  This  application  was 
followed  by  a  long  digression  upon  all  books  ever  known 
in  MS.  or  in  print.  Those  which  compose  the  Holy 
Scriptures  passed  first  in  review;  he  named  their 
authors,  he  fixed  their  date,  and  gave  the  reasons  for 
their  composition.  He  passed  next  to  those  of  the 
ancient  philosophers,  of  the  Egyptians  and  of  the 
Greeks;  those  of  the  Sibyls  appeared  next  on  the  scene, 
and  the  praise  of  the  Tiburtine  Sibyl  was  neatly  inter- 
woven into  the  discourse.  Homer's  Iliad  was  not  for- 
gotten, any  more  than  the  ^neid ;  not  a  book  escaped 
him ;  and  then  he  declared  that  none  were  equal  to  the 
great  book  written  within  and  without ;  a  book,  said  he, 
imprinted  with  the  characters  of  divine  virtues,  bound 
in  Heaven,  dedicated  to  wisdom  uncreate',  approved  by 
the  doctors  of  the  nine  angelic  hierarchies,  published  by 
the  twelve  Apostles  in  the  four  quarters  of  the  globe  ; 
a  book  occupying  the  first  place  in  the  celestial  library, 
in   which  angels  and  saints  study  ever,  which  is  the 

^  I  have  been  obliged  somewhat  to  modify  these  expressions  here ;  the 
originals  are  too  profane  for  reproduction. 


INTRODUCTION.  19 

terror  of  demons,  the  joy  of  heaven,  the  delights  of 
saints,  the  recompense  of  the  triumphant  Church,  the 
hope  of  the  suffering,  the  support,  the  strength,  the 
buckler  of  the  militant.  He  never  left  this  great  book, 
the  leaves  of  which  he  kept  turning,  so  to  speak,  for 
three  good  quarters  of  an  hour,  and  then  finding  that  it 
was  time  to  rest,  he  quitted  us  suddenly  without  a  '  good- 
bye.' I  mean  without  the  blessing,  and  without  having 
spoken  of  the  Blessed  Yirgin  in  any  other  light 
than  that  which  served  him  in  the  explanation  of  his 
text. 

"  I  confess  I  never  heard  a  sermon  which  pleased  me 
better,  for  I  was  not  a  bit  wearied  during  it ;  and,  in 
his  style,  I  suspect  he  was  unequalled.  The  Passion  of 
Father  Imbert,  Superior  of  our  mission  at  Guadaloupe, 
his  sermon  on  St.  Jean  de  Dieu,  that  of  Father  Ange  de 
Rouen,  a  Capuchin,  on  a  certain  indulgence,  had  hitherto 
appeared  to  me  inimitable  masterpieces;  but  I  must 
award  the  palm  to  that  which  I  have  just  reported,  and 
to  do  the  preacher  justice,  he  surpassed  the  others  men- 
tioned as  the  empyrean  sky  surpasses  the  lunar  sky  in 
grandeur  and  elevation." 

I  must  speak  here  of  a  famous  preacher  of  the 
fifteenth  century,  to  whom  I  cannot  afford  a  separate 
notice,  and  who  is  more  offensively  ridiculous  than  the 
man  spoken  of  by  Labat;  I  mean  Gabriel  Barlette.  I 
do  not  give  him  other  notice  than  this  for  two  reasons ; 
the  first,  because  there  is  reason  to  believe  that  the 
sermons  which  pass  under  his  name  are  spurious  com- 
positions, as  indeed  is  asserted  by  a  cotemporary, 
Leander  Alberti,  who  says  that  they  were  the  compo- 


20  INTRODUCTION. 

sition  of  a  pretender  who  took  the  name  of  the  great 
preacher. 

It  is  therefore  not  fair  to  judge  of  a  really  famous 
man  from  works  which  may  not  be  his.  Another 
reason  why  I  have  limited  to  a  few  lines  my  notice  of 
sermons  which  were  undoubtedly  popular,  if  we  may 
judge  of  the  number  of  impressions  they  went  through, 
is  that  there  is  positively  no  good  to  be  got  from  them ; 
they  are  full  of  the  grossest  absurdities  and  the  most 
profane  buffoonery.  I  have  given  an  account  of  some 
three  or  four  of  this  class  of  sermon,  and  I  can  afford 
no  more  room  to  similar  profanities. 

Gabriel  Barlette  was  a  Dominican,  and  was  born  at 
Barletta  in  the  kingdom  of  Naples.  He  lived  beyond 
1481,  for  he  speaks  of  the  siege  and  capture  of  Otranto 
by  Mahomet  II.  as  a  thing  of  the  past.  In  one  of  the 
sermons  attributed  to  him  is  the  following  passage  on 
the  close  of  the  temptations  : — ''After  His  victory  over 
Satan,  the  Blessed  Yirgin  sends  Him  the  dinner  she 
had  prepared  for  herself,  cabbage,  soup,  spinach,  and 
perhaps  even  sardines.'* 

In  a  sermon  for  Whitsun-Tuesday,  he  rebukes  dis- 
tractions in  prayer,  and  he  illustrates  them  in  this  un- 
seemly way.  He  represents  a  priest  engaged  at  his 
morning  devotions,  saying,  "Pater  noster  qui  es  in 
coelis — I  say,  lad,  saddle  the  horse,  I'm  going  to  town 
to-day  ! — sanctificatur  nomen  tuum, — Catherine,  put  the 
pot  on  the  fire  ! — fiat  voluntas  tua — Take  care  !  the 
cat's  at  the  cheese  ! — panem  nostrum   quotidianum — 

Mind  the  white  horse  has  his  feed  of  oats Is  this 

praying?"     No,  Gabriel,  nor  is  this  preaching  ! 


IJ^TRODUCTION.  21 

Another  preacher  of  the  same  stamp  was  Menot. 
Michael  Menot  was  born  in  Paris  ;  he  was  a  Franciscan, 
and  died  at  an  advanced  age  in  1518. 

Take  this  specimen  of  his  reasoning — 
"  The  dance  is  a  circular  way ; 
The  way  of  the  Devil  is  circular  ; 
Therefore  the  dance  is  the  Devil's  way." 
And  he  proves  his  minor  by  the  Scriptural  passages 
"  circuivi  terram,"  "  circuit  quserens  quern  devoret," 
"  in  circuitu  impii  ambulant."  In  his  sermon  for 
Friday  after  Ash- Wednesday  he  thus  expresses  his 
sense  of  the  value  of  magistrates  :  "  Justices  are  like  the 
cat  which  is  put  in  charge  of  a  cheese  lest  the  mice 
should  eat  it.  But  if  the  cat  lay  tooth  to  it,  by  one 
bite  he  does  more  mischief  than  the  mice  could  do  in 
twenty.  Just  in  the  same  manner,"  &c.  The  following 
is  a  specimen  of  his  style,  a  sad  jumble  of  Latin  and 
French.  He  is  giving  a  graphic  description  of  the 
prodigal  son  wasting  his  goods.  "  Mittit  ad  quaerendum 
les  drapiers,  les  grossiers,  les  marchands  de  soye,  et  se 
fait  accoutrer  de  pied  en  cap ;  il  n'y  avait  rien  a  redire. 
Quando  vidit  sibi  pulchras  caligas  d'ecarlate,  bien 
tirees,  la  belle  chemise  froncee  sur  le  collet,  le  pour- 
point  fringant  de  velours,  la  toque  de  Florence,  les 
cheveux  peignes,  et  qu'il  se  sentit  le  damas  voler  sur  le 
dos,  haec  secum  dixit :  Oportetne  mihi  aliquid  ?  Or  me 
faut-il  rien?  Non,  tu  as  toutes  tes  plumes;  il  est 
temps  de  voler  plus  loin.  Tu  es  nimis  prope  domum 
patris  tui,  pro  benb  faciendo  casum  tuum.  Pueri  qui 
semper  dormierunt  in  atrio  vel  gremio  matris  suae, 
nunquam   sciverunt    aliquid,   et   nunquam   erunt   nisi 


22  INTRODUCTION. 

asini  et  insulsi,  et  ne  seroiit  jamais  quenices  et  bejaunes. 
Bref  qui  ne  frcquente  pays  niliil  videt." 

Of  course  this  sermon  was  not  thus  preached,  but  it 
gives  us  an  idea  of  Menot's  acquaintance  with  Latin, 
and  of  his  utter  inability  to  render  the  slang  which  had 
disfigured  his  vernacular  by  classic  phrases. 

But  it  must  not  be  supposed  that  all  preachers  of  the 
fifteenth  century  were  like  these  clerical  jesters. 

Gabriel  Biel  was  grave  and  dignified,  his  sermons 
remarkably  simple  in  construction,  and  full  of  wisdom 
and  fervour.  The  same  may  be  said  of  Thomas  a 
Kempis,  John  Turricremata,  and  Henry  Harphius. 

With  the  sixteenth  century  a  new  phase  of  pulpit 
oratory  was  about  to  dawn.  Men  wearied  of  con- 
ventional restraints,  and  spoke  from  the  heart,  know- 
ledge was  profounder,  less  superficial,  the  conceits  of 
schoolmen  were  kept  in  the  background,  and  scriptural 
illustrations  brought  into  greater  prominence.  Anecdote 
was  still  used  as  a  powerful  engine  for  good,  but  it  was 
anecdote  such  as  would  edify.  Similes  were  introduced 
of  the  most  striking  and  charming  character ;  and  the 
preachers  sought  evidently  rather  to  instruct  their 
hearers,  and  to  render  doctrine  intelligible,  than  to 
surround  themselves  with  a  cloud  of  abstruse  doubts 
and  solutions,  to  the  bewilderment  of  their  hearers, 
and  to  their  own  possible  glorification.  It  is  im- 
possible not  to  see  in  this  a  fruit  of  the  Reformation. 
To  people  famishing  for  the  bread  of  life,  the  preachers 
of  the  fifteenth  century  had  given  a  stone,  and  now 
their  successors  were  alive  to  the  fact,  and  strove 
earnestly    to     remedy    it.      They    threw     themselves 


INTRODUCTION.  23 

forward  like  Phineas,  and  stood  in  the  gap,  so  that 
it  is  to  them,  perhaps,  more  than  to  great  theologians 
like  Bellarmin,  that  the  Catholic  Church  must  look 
with  thanks  for  having  stayed  the  advancing  tide  of 
reform. 

If,  in  that  age  of  religious  upheaval,  the  pulpit  had 
remained  as  unedifying  as  heretofore,  there  can  be  no 
manner  of  doubt  that  the  eruption  in  Germany  would 
have  devastated  Italy,  France,  and  Spain.  Indeed  the 
Huguenot  party  in  France  was  very  powerful,  and 
extended  so  widely  that  it  must  be  a  matter  of  sur- 
prise to  many  to  find  its  tenets  now  represented  by 
a  few  miserable,  quivering  fragments.  In  fact  the 
Roman  Church,  after  the  first  shock,  recovered  ground 
on  all  sides,  for  her  clergy  rose  to  meet  the  emergency, 
and  turned  to  the  people  as  the  true  source  of  strength 
to  the  Church,  and  leaned  on  them,  instead  of  putting 
her  trust  in  Princes.  I  cannot  believe  that  the  massa- 
cres of  the  Huguenots  had  any  thing  to  do  with  the 
extirpation  of  Protestantism  in  France,  for  persecution 
strengthens  but  never  destroys.  I  am  rather  inclined 
to  attribute  it  to  the  vigour  with  which  the  clergy  of 
the  time  set  themselves  to  work  remedying  the  abuses 
which  had  degraded  pulpit  oratory.  Sacred  eloquence 
is  the  most  powerful  engine  known  for  influencing 
multitudes,  and  the  Catholic  clergy  resolutely  culti- 
vated it,  and  used  it  with  as  much  success  as  Chry- 
sostom,  Gregory,  or  Augustine.  They  had  a  vast 
storehouse  of  learning  and  piety  from  which  to  draw, 
the  writings  of  the  saints  and  doctors  of  the  Church  in 
all  ages,  and  they  drew  from  it  unostentatiously  but 


24  INTRODUCTION. 

effectively.  Their  sermons  were  telling  in  a  way  no 
Protestant  sermons  could  equal,  for  the  Calvinist  or 
Lutheran  had  cast  in  his  lot  apart  from  the  great 
men  of  antiquity,  whilst  the  Catholic  could  focus 
their  teaching  upon  his  flock.  The  former  had  but 
their  own  brains  from  which  to  draw,  whilst  the 
latter  had  the  great  minds  of  Catholic  antiquity  to 
rest  upon.  There  are  vast  encyclopedias  and  dictionaries 
of  theology,  moral  and  dogmatic,  filled  with  matter  any 
Catholic  preacher  of  the  meanest  abilities  could  work 
up  into  profitable  and  even  striking  discourses,  great 
collections  of  anecdote  and  simile,  which  he  might 
turn  to  for  illustrations,  and,  above  all,  exhaustive 
commentaries  on  every  line,  aye,  and  every  word  of 
Scripture. 

From  all  these  great  helps  to  the  preacher,  the 
Protestant  minister  conscientiously,  and  through  pre- 
judice, kept  aloof. 

This  may  account  for  the  undoubted  fact  that  after 
the  first  flush  of  triumph,  sacred  oratory  in  the  re- 
formed communities  sank  to  as  dead  and  dreary  a 
level  as  it  had  attained  in  the  fifteenth  century. 

The  Protestant  preachers  were  not  always  as  grotesque, 
but  they  became  as  dull  and  unspiritual,  whilst  the 
Roman  Church  having  once  napped,  never  let  herself 
fall  asleep  again,  but  with  that  tact  which  once  charac- 
terized her,  but  which  is  fast  leaving  her,  she  stirred  up 
and  kept  alive  ever  after  the  fire  of  sacred  eloquence. 

And  here  I  must  make  an  extraordinary  statement, 
yet  one  indisputably  true,  however  paradoxical  it  may 
appear. 


INTRODUCTION.  25 

The  main  contrast  between  Roman  Catholic  sermons 
and  those  of  Protestant  divines  in  the  age  of  which  I 
am  speaking,  consists  in  the  wondrous  familiarity  with 
Scripture  exhibited  by  the  former,  beside  a  scanty  use 
of  it  made  by  the  latter.  It  is  not  that  these  Roman 
preachers  affect  quoting  texts,  but  they  seem  to  think 
and  speak  in  the  words  of  Scripture,  without  an  effort ; 
Scriptural  illustrations  are  at  their  fingers'  ends,  and 
these  are  not  taken  from  one  or  two  pet  books,  but 
selected  evenly  from  the  whole  Bible. 

Let  me  take  as  an  instance  a  passage  selected  at 
hap-hazard  from  Konigstein,  an  unknown  German 
preacher.  He  is  preaching  on  the  Gospel  during 
the  Mass  at  dawn  on  Christmas  Bay.  I  choose  him, 
for  he  is  as  homely  a  preacher  as  there  was  in  the  six- 
teenth century,  and  as  he  may  be  taken  as  a  fair 
representative  of  a  class  somewhat  dull. 

"  *  And  the  Shepherds  said  one  to  another,  Let  us 
now  go  even  unto  Bethlehem,  and  see  this  thing  which 
is  come  to  pass'  (Luke  ii.  15).  The  Saviour  being  de- 
sirous of  weaning  altogether  the  hearts  of  His  own  people 
from  worldly  glory,  not  only  chose  to  be  born  in  po- 
verty, but  to  be  announced  to  poor  folk,  and  to  be  pro- 
claimed hy  them.  And  this  He  chose  lest  the  beginning 
of  our  faith  should  stand  in  human  glory  or  wisdom, 
which  is  foolishness  with  God,  whereas  He  desired  that  it 
should  be  ascribed  to  Divine  grace  only  ;  therefore  the 
Apostle  says,  *  After  the  kindness  and  love  of  God  our 
Saviour  toicards  man  appeared,'  &c.  Kindness  and  love  in 
His  conversation,  and  His  nativity  into  this  world,  by 
taking  our  flesh ;  of  God  our  Saviour,  by  His  own  vast 

G 


26  INTRODUCTION. 

clemency ;  not  hy  works  of  righteousness  ivJiich  we  have 
done,  for  we  were  by  nature  children  of  tvrath,  so  that  our 
works  were  not  done  in  justice,  nor  could  we  gain 
safety  by  them ;  but  according  to  His  mercy  He  saved  us 
by  present  grace  and  by  future  glory,  as  we  are  saved  by 
Hope ;  and  it  is  He  who  hath  called  us  with  an  holy  calling , 
not  according  to  our  works,  but  according  to  His  oicn 
purpose  and  grace,  which  was  given  us  in  Christ  Jesus 
before  the  world  began,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration 
and  the  reneival  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  is,  by  the 
washing  of  Baptism,  which  is  a  spiritual  regeneration, 
for,  except  a  man  be  born  of  ivater  and  of  the  Spirit,  he 
cannot  enter  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.  Water  cleanses 
the  body  without,  and  the  Spirit  purges  the  soul  within. 
In  Baptism  man  ends  the  old  life  which  was  under  the 
law,  that  he  may  begin  the  new  life  which  is  under 
grace ;  so  that  he  who  believes  is  daily  renewed  more 
and  more  by  the  Spirit,  which  is  given  us  in  Baptism ; 
as  says  the  Apostle,  Be  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  your 
mind,*'  &c. 

Of  a  similar  character  are  the  sermons  of  Helmesius, 
and  the  simple,  earnest,  and  thoughtful  postils  of  Poly- 
granus. 

There  is  another  observation  which  I  must  make 
upon  these  venerable  preachers.  It  is  impossible  to 
read  them  attentively  without  observing  how  different 
in  tone  they  are  to  modern  ultramontane  theologians, 
and  how  sadly  modern  Romanism  has  drifted  from 
primitive  traditions,  and  how  rapid  has  been  its  de- 
scent, when  this  is  noticeable  by  ascending  the  stream 
of  time  but  a  few  centuries. 


INTRODUCTION.  27 

I  am  not  prepared  to  say  that  there  is  nothing  false 
and  unprimitive  in  the  doctrine  of  these  great  preachers, 
but  that  doctrinal  corruption  was  not  then  fully  developed. 
I  suppose  that  an  English  priest  would  find  it  hard  to 
select  a  sermon  of  the  new  Roman  school,  which  he 
could  reproduce  in  his  own  pulpit ;  but  if  he  were  to 
turn  to  these  great  men  of  a  past  age,  he  would  meet 
with  few  passages  which  he  should  feel  himself  con- 
strained to  omit.  The  germ  of  evil  had  been  slowly 
expanding  through  the  middle  ages  ;  it  flowered  at  the 
close,  and  now  it  has  seeded;  and  become  loathsome 
in  its  corruption. 

Let  me  take  the  worship  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
which  has  of  late  assumed  such  terrible  dimensions. 
A  modern  Roman  preacher  rarely  misses  an  oppor- 
tunity of  inculcating  devotion  to  Mary.  But  it  was 
not  so  with  the  old  preachers.  They  do  use  language 
which  cannot  always  be  justified,  but,  more  often, 
language  which  ought  to  be  frankly  accepted  by  us, 
considering  that  the  tone  of  English  reverence  is 
unwarrantably  low  with  regard  to  the  blessed  ever- 
virgin  Mother.  Often  when  there  is  a  natural  opening 
for  some  words  of  deification  of  Mary,  the  preachers 
of  the  fifteenth,  sixteenth,  and  seventeenth  centuries 
turn  from  it  to  make  a  moral  application  to  their 
hearers.  I  will  only  instance  De  Barzia,  a  bishop  of 
Cadiz.     He  gives  three  sermons  for  the  Purification. 

The  first  is  on  the  care  which  a  Christian  man 
should  take  not  to  scandalize  his  neighbours  by  any 
act  which  though  innocent  might  give  ofience,  or  by 
the  neglect  of  any  duty. 

c2 


28  INTRODUCTION. 

The  second  is  on  the  great  danger  of  setting  an  evil 
example. 

The  third  is  on  the  funeral  taper,  by  the  light  of 
which  those  truths,  which  man  saw  not  in  the  day 
of  his  life,  are  then  most  evidently  discerned. 

For  the  Annunciation  he  gives  three  sermons.  The 
first  on  the  modesty  of  Mary,  which  all  should  imitate. 
The  second  is  on  the  general  confession  of  sin  made  in 
Lent.  The  third  is  on  the  promptitude  with  which  man 
should  act  on  Divine  impulses. 

It  is  true  that  De  Barzia  uses  strong  language  from 
which  we  should  dissent,  on  the  feasts  of  the  Assump- 
tion and  the  Nativity  of  Mary ;  but  the  fact  of  letting 
two  of  her  festivals  pass  without  pointing  her  out  as  a 
prominent  object  of  worship  is  what,  I  should  suppose, 
no  modern  Ultramontane  would  do. 

I  must  now  turn  to  a  bright  and  pleasant  feature 
in  these  preachers — their  keen  appreciation  of  the 
beauty  of  nature.  This  indeed  had  been  a  distinguish- 
ing characteristic  of  the  Middle  Ages.  In  architecture, 
in  painting,  and  in  poetry,  even  in  preaching,  the  great 
book  of  nature  had  been  studied,  and  its  details  repro- 
duced. As  the  sculptor  delighted  to  represent  in  stone 
beast,  and  bird,  and  plant ;  as  the  painter  rejoiced  to 
transfer  to  canvas,  with  laborious  minuteness,  the  tender 
meadow  flowers ;  so  did  the  preacher  pluck  illustra- 
tion from  the  book  of  nature,  or  refer  his  hearers  to  it, 
for  examples  of  life. 

"With  the  Eenaissance,  the  artist  turned  from  the 
contemplation  of  God's  handiwork,  but  not  so  the 
sacred  orator.     In  him  the  same  love  for  the  works 


INTRODUCTION.  29 

of  God  is  manifest,  his  mind  returns  to  them  again 
and  again,  he  gathers  simile  and  illustration  from 
them  with  readiness  and  freedom,  he  seems  to  stand 
before  his  congregation  with  the  written  word  in  his 
right  hand,  and  the  unwritten  word  in  his  left,  and 
to  read  from  the  written,  and  then  turn  to  the  un- 
written as  the  exponent  of  the  other.  Nature  was 
not  then  supposed  to  be  antagonistic  to  Eevelation, 
but  to  be  its  Apocrypha,  hidden  writings  full  of  the 
wisdom  of  God,  and  meet  "  for  examples  of  life  and 
instruction  of  manners." 

The  great  Bernard  used  the  heart-language  of  every 
mediaeval  theologian  when  he  said,  "Believe  me  who 
have  tried  it;  you  will  find  more  in  the  woods  than 
in  books  :  the  birds  will  teach  you  that  which  you 
can  learn  from  no  master." 

In  like  temper  did  Philip  von  Hartung  preach  to 
a  courtly  audience  on  the  text,  "  Consider  the  fowls  of 
the  air,"  and  drawing  them  away  from  the  glitter  of 
the  palace,  and  the  din  of  the  city,  set  them  down 
in  a  meadow  to  hear  the  lessons  taught  them  by  the 
lark. 

"  Consider  the  fowls  of  the  air,  and  look  first  to 
the  lark  {alauda),  drawing  its  very  name,  a  laude, 
out  of  praise ;  see  how  with  quivering  wing  it  mounts 
aloft,  and  with  what  clear  note  it  praises  God !  Aldro- 
vandus  says  that  he  had  been  taught  from  childhood, 
that  the  lark  mounted  seven  times  a  day  to  sing  hymns 
to  its  Creator,  so  that  it  sings  ascending,  and  singing 
soars. 

"St.  Francis  was  wont  to  call  the  lar\s  his  sisters, 
c  3 


30  INTRODUCTION. 

rejoicing  in  their  songs,  whicli  excited  him  to  the 
praise  of  his  Creator.  Seven  times  a  day  might  we 
too  chant  our  praise  to  God :  first  for  our  creation, 
which  was  completed  in  seven  days ;  then  for  our 
Eedemption,  which  was  perfected  by  the  seventh 
effusion  of  blood ;  thirdly,  for  the  seven  sacraments 
instituted  by  Christ ;  fourthly,  for  the  seven  words 
uttered  from  the  Cross;  fifthly,  for  the  seven  gifts 
of  the  Spirit  shed  on  us  from  on  high;  sixthly,  for 
our  preservation  from  the  seven  deadly  sins,  even 
though  the  just  man  falleth  seven  times  a  day  (Prov. 
xxiv.) ;  and  lastly,  for  the  seven  sad  and  seven  glorious 
mysteries  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  Mary. 

"  A  heavenly  lark  was  royal  David,  going  up  to  Thee, 
0  God,  '  seven  times  a  day '  to  praise  Thee  !  David 
from  the  softness  of  a  palace ;  David  from  the  cares 
of  a  kingdom  ;  David  from  the  tumult  of  battle  ;  David 
engaged  in  so  great  correspondence  with  many  and 
mighty  kings,  seven  times  a  day,  rose  to  the  praise 
of  God ;  and  shall  not  you,  my  brethren,  mount  from 
your  ease  seven  times  a  day  to  give  thanks  unto  God  ? 
Threefold,  aye !  and  fourfold,  were  our  blessedness,  if 
from  this  vale  of  tears  our  hearts  would  but  wing  their 
way  on  high  to  seek  true  and  never-fleeting  joys.  Notice 
the  lark !  it  is  not  content,  like  the  swallow,  to  skim 
the  surface  of  earth,  but  it  must  struggle  up  higher 
and  higher.  *The  higher  the  soul  goes,'  says  Hugo, 
'  the  more  it  rejoices  in  the  Lord.'  And  just  as  the  lark 
when  on  earth  is  hushed,  but  mounting  breaks  into  joy 
and  song ;  so  does  the  soul  raised  to  Heaven  rapturously 
and  sweetly  warble.      It  sings  not  upon  the   topmost 


INTRODUCTION.  31 

boughs  of  trees,  as  though  spurning  all  that  is  rooted 
in  earth.  And  so  do  you  cast  away  all  cares,  all 
intercourse,  all  affairs  of  life,  all  that  is  evil,  all,  in 
short,  that  is  earthy.  Socrates  was  wont  to  say  that  the 
wings  of  a  lark  failed  us  when  we  came  down  from 
Heaven,  drawn  by  the  host  of  earthly  objects.  But 
we  can  spread  them  again  to  flee  away  and  be  at  rest, 
if  we  will,  by  earnest  endeavour,  dispose  our  hearts  to 
mount,  and  so  go  on  from  grace  to  grace." 

Beside  this  let  me  place  a  lesson  from  the  flowers, 
cuUed  from  Matthias  Faber.  "  They  teach  us  to  trust 
in  God.  I  pray  you  look  at  Divine  Providence  exerted 
in  behalf  of  the  smallest  floweret.  God  has  given  it 
perfect  parts,  and  members  proportioned  to  its  trunk ; 
He  has  provided  it  with  organs  for  the  performance 
of  all  those  functions  which  are  necessary  to  it,  as  the 
drawing  up  of  juice,  and  its  dispersion  through  the  various 
parts ;  a  root  branching  into  tiny  fibres  riveting  it  to 
the  soil;  a  stalk  erect,  lest  it  should  be  stained  and 
corrupted  through  contact  with  the  earth,  strong  also, 
lest  it  should  be  broken  by  the  storm,  a  rind  thick  or 
furred  to  protect  it  from  cold,  or  heat,  or  accident ;  twigs 
and  leaves  for  adornment  and  shelter ;  a  most  beauteous 
array  of  flower  above  the  array  of  Solomon  in  all  his 
glory.  He  has  given  it,  besides,  a  scent  pleasant  to 
beasts  or  men ;  He  has  endued  it  with  healing  proper- 
ties, and,  above  all,  with  the  faculty  of  generating  in  its 
own  likeness.  How  many  benefits  conferred  on  one 
flower !  one  flower,  I  say,  which  to-morrow  is  cut  down 
and  cast  into  the  oven !  "What,  then,  will  He  not  give 
to  man,  whom  He  has  made  in  His  own  image,  an  heir 

c  4 


32  INTRODUCTION. 

of  Heaven !  .  .  .  *  Consider  the  lilies  of  tlie  field  how  they 
grow/  aye !  hoiv  they  grow,  how  is  it  ?  They  grow 
steadily  night  and  day,  stretching  themselves  out  and 
expanding,  so  that  no  man  may  discern  the  process 
going  on.  So,  too,  let  us  grow,  daily  extirpating 
vices,  daily  implanting  virtues,  thus  sensibly  increasing, 
so  that,  after  the  lapse  of  years,  we  may  be  found  to 
have  advanced  in  spiritual  growth,  though  we  ourselves 
may  not  have  known  it.  As  said  the  Apostle,  *  Forget- 
ting those  things  which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth 
unto  those  things  which  are  before,  I  press  towards  the 
mark'  (Phil.  iii.  13). 

"  They  teach  us,  also,  to  sigh  for  heavenly  beatitude, 
and  the  society  of  the  blessed.  If  even  in  this  world 
such  variety  of  flowers  is  seen,  such  beauty,  such 
fragrance,  and  these  in  flowers  which  to-day  are  and 
to-morrow  are  cast  into  the  oven,  what  will  be  the 
beauty,  what  the  variety,  what  the  glory  of  the  elect  in 
the  kingdom  of  God  !  Those  who  go  to  distant  lands 
are  ever  discovering  fresh  and  fresh  flowers ;  and  so  in 
Heaven  is  there  unmeasured  variety  among  the  angels 
and  the  elect. 

"  Yet  in  all  this  variety  there  is  perfect  unity.  For  as 
in  the  same  garden,  or  meadow,  the  flowers  are  content 
with  their  several  beauties,  and  no  one  impedes  the 
growth  of  another,  or  thrusts  it  out  of  its  place,  but  aU 
look  up  to  the  one  sun,  and  bask  and  grow  and  gather 
strength  in  his  brightness  ;  so  also  in  Heaven.  There 
each  of  the  Blessed  will  be  content  with  his  portion  of 
glory,  none  interfering  with  another,  none  envying 
another.     For  all  will  see  God  face  to  face,  and  live 


INTRODUCTION.  33 

and  move  and  have  their  being  in  His  presence,  and 
therewith  be  satisfied  through  eternity." 

Simile  has  been  used  extensively  in  all  ages  of  the 
Church,  but  in  the  fifteenth  century  it  had  become  very 
mean  and  coarse.  Meffreth  could  talk  of  the  world  as 
being  untranquil,  like  a  globule  of  quicksilver,  never  to 
be  brought  to  rest  till  fused  to  a  black  residuum  in  the 
sulphurous  blast  of  Hell ;  and  could  illustrate  the  text, 
"  Here  we  have  no  continuing  city,''  by  comparing  this 
poor  world  of  ours  to  the  weed-covered  back  of  a  large 
whale,  which  an  eminent  and  veracious  navigator — of 
course  he  means  Sinbad— mistook  for  a  verdant  isle, 
only  to  discover  his  mistake  when  he  began  to  drive 
into  it  the  stakes  of  his  habitation. 

Far  nobler  was  the  use  of  simile  in  the  great  revi^/al 
of  the  sixteenth  century. 

Pre-eminent  among  those  who  made  it  a  vehicle  for 
conveying  truths,  are  the  names  of  De  Barzia  and 
Osorius  ;  both  men  of  great  refinement  of  taste  and 
richness  of  imagination. 

What,  for  example,  could  be  more  graceful  than  the 
following,  given  by  the  Bishop  of  Cadiz,  when  speaking 
of  the  impossibility  of  man  comprehending  the  reason 
of  God's  dealings,  when  He  touches  with  the  finger  of 
death  at  one  time  a  child,  at  another  an  aged  man,  then 
a  youth,  and  next,  perhaps,  one  in  full  vigour  of  man- 
hood? To  us,  this  selection  seems  to  be  a  matter  of 
chance,  but  there  is  no  chance  in  it.  The  Bishop  then 
uses  this  illustration.  The  deaf  man  watches  the 
harpist,  and  sees  his  fingers  dance  over  the  strings  in  a 
strange  and  unaccountable  way.     Now  a  strong  silver 

c  5 


34  INTRODUCTION. 

cord  is  touclied,  then  a  slender  catgnt  string.  At  one 
time  a  long  string  is  set  vibrating,  at  another  a  very 
short  string ;  now  several  are  thrummed  together,  and 
then  one  alone  is  set  quivering.  Just  so  is  it  with  us ; 
we  hear  not  the  perfect  harmony,  nor  follow  the  won- 
drous melody  of  Grod's  operations,  for  the  faculty  of 
comprehending  them  is  deficient  in  us,  and  to  us  in  our 
faithlessness  there  seems  chance  and  hazard,  where 
really  there  exists  harmony  and  order. 

Osorius  uses  a  different  simile  in  illustrating  an  idea 
somewhat  similar. 

He  is  speaking  to  those  who  murmur  at  God's  deal- 
ings in  this  world,  and  who  would  fain  have  His  dispo- 
sition of  things  altered  in  various  particulars.  He  then 
says,  that  those  who  look  on  an  unfinished  piece  of 
tapestry  see  a  foot  here,  a  hand  there,  a  patch  of  red  in 
one  spot,  of  green  in  another,  and  all  seems  to  be  con- 
fusion. Let  us  wait  till  the  work  is  complete,  and  we 
shall  see  that  not  a  hand  or  foot,  not  a  thread  even  is 
out  of  place.  Such  is  the  history  of  the  world.  We 
see  blood  and  war  where  there  should  be  peace  ;  we  see 
men  exalted  to  be  kings  who  should  have  been  slaves, 
and  men  condemned  to  be  slaves  who  would  have  ruled 
nations  in  wisdom  and  equity,  and  we  think  that  there 
is  imperfection  in  the  work.  Wait  we  awhile,  till  at 
the  Last  Day  the  great  tapestry  of  this  world's  history 
is  unrolled  before  us,  and  then  we  shall  see  that  all  has 
been  ordered  by  God's  good  providence  for  the  very 
best. 

But  Scripture  supplied  most  of  the  illustrations  needed 
by  these  preachers.     It  was  to  them  an  inexhaustible 


INTRODUCTION.  35 

storehouse,  from  which  they  could  bring  forth  things 
new  and  old.  Holy  Scripture  seems  to  have  supplied 
them  with  every  thing  that  they  required  ;  it  gave  them 
a  text,  it  afforded  confirmation  to  their  subject ;  from  it 
they  drew  mystical  illustrations  for  its  corroboration, 
and  examples  wherewith  to  enforce  precept. 

To  some,  the  sacred  page  may  be  crystalline  and 
colourless  as  a  rain-drop,  but  to  these  men  who  knew 
from  what  point  to  view  it,  it  radiated  any  colouf  they 
desired  to  catch. 

They  did  not  always  make  long  extracts,  in  the 
fashion  of  certain  modern  sermon-composers,  who  form 
a  sermon  out  of  lengthy  Scriptural  passages  clumsily 
pegged  together,  always  with  wood ;  but  with  one 
light  sweep,  the  old  preachers  brush  up  a  whole  bright 
string  of  sparkling  Scriptural  instances,  in  a  manner 
indicating  their  own  intimate  acquaintance  with  Scrip- 
ture, and  implying  a  corresponding  knowledge  among 
their  hearers.  Take  the  following  sentence  of  an  old 
Flemish  preacher  as  an  instance  :  he  is  speaking  of  the 
unity  prevailing  in  heaven  : — 

"  The7'e  all  strife  will  have  ceased,  thefe  all  contra- 
diction will  have  ended,  there  all  emulation  will  be 
unknown. 

''  In  that  blessed  country  there  wilt  be  no  Cain  to  slay 
his  brother  Abel ;  in  that  family,  no  Esau  to  hate 
Jacob ;  in  that  house,  no  Ishmael  to  strive  with  Isaac ; 
in  that 'kingdom,  no  Saul  to  persecute  Diavid;  in  that 
college,  no  Judas  to  betray  his  master.'* 

Let  me  take  another  example  from  a  sermon  on  the 
small  number  of  the  elect. 

c6 


36  INTRODUCTION. 

"  *  Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen/ 

"Noah  preached  to  the  old  world  for  a  hundred 
years  the  coming  in  of  the  flood,  and  how  many  were 
saved  when  the  world  was  destroyed  ?  Eight  souls,  and 
among  them  was  the  reprobate  Ham.  Many  were  called, 
but  only  eight  were  chosen. 

"  When  God  would  rain  fire  and  brimstone  on  the 
cities  of  the  plain,  were  ten  saved  ?  No !  only  four, 
and  of  these  four,  one  looked  back.  Many  were  called, 
but  three  were  chosen. 

"Six  hundred  thousand  men,  besides  women  and 
children,  went  through  the  Red  Sea,  the  like  figure 
whereunto  Baptism  doth  even  now  save  us.  The  host  of 
Pharaoh  and  the  Egyptians  went  in  after  them,  and 
of  them  not  one  reached  the  further  shore.  And  of 
these  Israelites  who  passed  through  the  sea  out  of 
Egypt,  how  many  entered  the  promised  land,  the  land 
flowing  with  milk  and  honey  ?  Two  only — Caleb  and 
Joshua.  Many — six  hundred  thousand — were  called, 
few,  even  two,  were  chosen.  All  the  host  of  Pharaoh, 
a  shadow  of  those  who  despise  and  set  at  nought  the 
Red  Sea  of  Christ's  blood,  perish  without  exception ; 
of  God's  chosen  people,  image  of  His  Church,  only  few 
indeed  are  saved. 

"How  many  multitudes  teemed  in  Jericho,  and  of 
them  how  many  escaped  when  Joshua  encamped  against 
the  city  ?  The  walls  fell,  men  and  women  perished.  One 
house  alone  escaped,  known  by  the  scarlet  thread,  type  of 
the  blood  of  Jesus,  and  that  was  the  house  of  a  harlot. 

"  Gideon  went  against  the  Midianites  with  thirty- 
two  thousand  men.     The  host  of  Midian  was  without 


INTRODUCTION.  37 

number,  as  the  sand  of  the  sea-side  for  multitude.  How- 
many  of  these  thirty-two  thousand  men  did  God  suffer 
Gideon  to  lead  into  victory?  Three  hundred  only. 
Many,  even  thirty-two  thousand  men,  were  called ; 
three  hundred  chosen. 

"Type  and  figure  this  of  the  many  enrolled  into 
the  Church's  army,  of  whom  so  few  go  on  to  'fight 
the  good  fight  of  faith  ! ' 

"  Of  the  tribes  of  Israel  twelve  men  only  were  chosen 
to  be  Apostles ;  and  of  those  twelve,  one  was  a  traitor, 
one  doubtful,  one  denied  his  Master,  all  forsook  Him. 

"How  many  rulers  were  there  among  the  Jews 
when  Christ  came ;  but  one  only  went  to  Him,  and  he 
by  night ! 

"  How  many  rich  men  were  there  when  our  blessed 
Lord  walked  this  earth  ;  but  one  only  ministered  unto 
Him,  and  he  only  in  His  burial ! 

"How  many  peasants  were  there  in  the  country 
when  Christ  went  to  die  ;  but  one  only  was  deemed 
worthy  to  bear  His  cross,  and  he  bore  it  by  constraint ! 

"How  many  thieves  were  there  in  Judaea  when 
Christ  was  there  ;  but  one  only  entered  Paradise,  and 
he  was  converted  in  his  last  hour ! 

"  How  many  centurions  were  there  scattered  over  the 
province  ;  and  one  only  saw  and  believed,  and  he  by 
cruelly  piercing  the  Saviour's  side ! 

"  How  many  harlots  were  there  in  that  wicked  and 
adulterous  generation ;  but  one  only  washed  His  feet 
with  tears  and  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head ! 
Truly,  '  Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen.'  " 

We  hear  but  little  in  modern  sermons  of  the  mystical 


38 


INTRODUCTION. 


interpretation  of  Scripture,  which  was  so  common  in  all 
earlier  ages  of  the  Church.  The  Epistles  of  St.  Paul 
show  us  that  the  primitive  Church  was  accustomed  to 
read  Scripture  in  a  mystical  way.  What,  for  instance, 
can  be  more  ''  fanciful,"  as  we  moderns  should  say,  than 
his  allegorizing  of  the  history  of  Isaac  (Gal.  iv.  22 — 31), 
and  of  Moses  (1  Cor.  x.  1),  or  his  argument  from  the 
law  that  the  laity  should  pay  for  the  support  of  their 
pastors :  "  For  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  Thou 
shalt  not  muzzle  the  mouth  of  the  ox  that  treadeth  out 
the  corn''  (1  Cor.  ix.  9,  10),  and  "Let  the  elders  that 
rule  well  be  counted  worthy  of  double  honour  (i.e.  hono- 
rarium, contribution  in  money)  .  .  .  for  the  Scripture 
saith.  Thou  shalt  not  muzzle  the  ox  that  treadeth  out 
the  corn?"  (1  Tim.  v.  17,  18.)  Bacon  said  that  we 
should  accept  as  conclusive  the  meaning  of  Scripture 
which  is  most  plainly  on  the  surface,  just  as  the  first 
crush  of  the  grape  is  the  purest  wine,  forgetting,  as 
Dr.  Neale  aptly  remarks,  that  the  first  crush  of  the 
grape  is  not  wine  at  all,  but  a  crude  and  unwholesome 
liquor.  Certainly  modern  preachers  are  ready  enough 
to  give  us  the  most  superficial  interpretation  of  Scrip- 
ture, and  rarely  trouble  themselves  with  probing  the 
depths  of  Holy  Writ  for  fresh  lessons  and  new  beauties. 
In  the  same  way  it  was  quietly  assumed  till  of  late  that 
the  ocean  below  that  depth  which  is  storm-tossed 
was  quite  azoic.  We  know  now  that  that  untroubled 
profound  teems  with  varied  forms  of  life,  and  is  glo- 
rious with  hitherto  undreamt-of  beauties.  Our  modern 
divines  are  content  with  the  troubled  sea  of  criticism, 
and  pay  no  heed,  and  give  no  thought,  to  the  manifold 


INTRODUCTION.  39 

beauties  and  wonders  of  the  tranquil  deeps  of  God's 
mind,  above  which  they  are  content  to  toss.  The 
analogy  between  God's  word  written  and  God's  un- 
written word  is  striking.  Yet  we  are  satisfied  to  know 
that  the  further  the  great  volume  of  Nature  is  explored, 
the  closer  it  is  studied,  the  greater  are  the  wonders 
which  it  will  display.  Why,  then,  do  we  doubt  that 
the  same  holds  good  with  the  written  word  ?  Deep 
answers  to  deep,  the  deep  of  Nature  to  the  deep  of 
Revelation.  The  Same  Who  is  the  Author  of  Nature 
is  the  Author  of  Eevelation ;  and  we  may  therefore 
expect  to  find  in  one  as  in  the  other  that  "His 
thoughts  are  very  deep,"  "His  ways  past  finding  out;" 
that  in  one  as  in  the  other  there  is  a  similarity,  a 
mighty  variety  yet  an  essential  unity,  a  vast  diversity 
yet  a  perfect  harmony;  that  there  are  mysteries  in 
both,  through  which,  as  through  a  glass  darkly,  shines 
the  wisdom  of  the  Creator. 

Commentators  on  Scripture,  such  as  Scott  and  Henry,  I 
really  fill  pages  and  volumes  with  the  most  deplorable 
twaddle,  and  exhibit  conclusively  their  utter  incapacity 
for  comm^entating  on  any  single  passage  of  Scripture. 
Not  only  are  their  comprehensions  too  dull  to  grasp 
the  moral  lessons  in  the  least  below  the  surface,  but 
they  entirely  ignore  the  mystical  signification  of  the 
events  recorded  in  the  Sacred  Writings.  To  the  Medi- 
aeval divines  and  those  who  followed  their  steps,  every 
word  of  Scripture  had  its  value ;  indeed,  the  very 
number,  singular  or  plural,  of  a  substantive  was  with 
them  fraught  with  significance.  Take  one  instance; 
Stella  the  Franciscan  remarks,  ob  St.-  John  xiv.  23  : — 


40  INTRODUCTION. 

"  '  Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  If  a  man  love  Me, 
he  will  keep  My  ivord  {rov  \6yov  fiov  Tr^prjaei)  :  he  that 
loveth  Me  not,  keepeth  not  My  words  (tov^  Xoyov^  fxov 
ov  TTjpel).'  Love  of  God  makes  one  command  out  of 
many,  for  to  him  who  loves,  the  many  precepts  are 
but  as  one.  So  here  Christ  says,  *  If  any  man  love  Me, 
he  will  keep  My  word ;'  but  of  him  who  loves  not.  He 
says,  *  He  keepeth  not  My  words.'  Of  him  who  loves,  it 
is  spoken  in  the  singular;  of  him  who  loves  not,  in 
the  plural.  Eve  said,  '  Of  the  fruit  of  the  tree  which  is 
in  the  midst  of  the  garden,  God  hath  said.  Ye  shaU  not 
eat  of  it,  neither  shall  ye  touch  it,  lest  ye  die '  (Gen.  iii. 
3) ;  whereas  God  forbade  only  the  eating,  not  the 
touching.  But  a  chilled  heart  made  one  command  into 
two ;  whilst  a  heart  full  of  love,  like  that  of  David, 
could  sum  up  the  six  hundred  and  thirteen  precepts  of 
the  old  law  into  one,  when  he  exclaimed,  *  Thy  com- 
mandment is  exceeding  broad,'  and  'Lord,  what  love 
have  I  unto  Thy  law,  all  the  day  long  is  my  study 
in  it.'  " 

Compare  with  this  suggestive  passage  the  only  re- 
mark made  on  the  text  in  D'Oyly  and  Mant:  "The 
manifestation  I  mean  is,  that  of  inward  light  and 
grace,  which  shall  never  depart  from  those  who  are 
careful  to  live  as  I  have  commanded  them."  The  ob- 
servation of  Stella  is  suggestive,  that  in  D'Oyly  and 
Mant  is  decidedly  the  reverse. 

But  I  would  speak  now  of  the  mystical  interpreta- 
tions of  Scripture.  I  have  only  room  for  a  very  few. 
The  following  are  from  Marchant.  "  Unless  Christ  had 
been  sent,  none  of  us  would  have  been  released  from  our 


INTRODUCTION.  41 

iniquities.  Wherefore  the  Apostle  often  exhorts  the 
Jews  not  to  glory  in  the  law,  for  the  law  did  not  suffice 
to  justify  and  to  make  alive.  Do  you  desire  a  figure  of 
this  mystery  ?  Listen  to  that  of  Elisha.  He  was  asked 
to  come  and  call  to  life  a  child  which  was  dead  :  he  sent 
his  servant  first  with  a  stafi",  which  he  was  to  lay  upon  the 
dead  child ;  but  neither  servant  nor  staff  were  of  avail. 
Then  went  he  himself,  and  see  what  he  did :  *  He  went 
up,  and  lay  upon  the  child,  and  put  his  mouth  upon  his 
mouth,  and  his  eyes  upon  his  eyes,  and  his  hands  upon 
his  hands  :'  contracting  himself  to  the  form  of  the  child ; 
*  and  the  flesh  of  the  child  waxed  warm  .  .  .  and  the 
child  opened  his  eyes.'  You  see  the  figure,  attend  to 
the  verity.  God  sent  Moses  His  servant,  and  the 
Prophets,  with  the  staff  of  the  law ;  but  neither  they 
nor  the  law  could  avail  to  restore  man  to  life  from  the 
death  of  sin.  It  was  necessary,  therefore,  that  He  Him- 
self should  go  to  man,  and  bow  Himself  to  man  by  the 
assumption  of  man's  nature,  and  contract  Himself  to  the 
form  of  a  child  by  the  Incarnation,  not  only  casting 
Himself  on  this  our  dead  nature,  but  taking  our  nature, 
hands,  arms,  mouth,  and  soul  to  Himself.  ....  This 
circumstance  of  the  closing  of  the  door  that  none  might 
see,  when  Elisha  stretched  himself  upon  the  child,  is  not 
without  significance.  For  as  none  discerned  how  Elisha, 
that  great  man,  was  able  to  contract  himself  to  the  form 
of  a  little  boy ;  so  no  one  can  comprehend  how  the  Son 
of  God,  so  high  and  so  mighty,  could  unite,  and  apply, 
and  abase,  His  nature  to  ours  ;  so  that  He  became 
mortal  Who  was  immortal,  passible  Who  was  impassible, 
infant  Who  was  God.   In  all  these  the  mystery  is  great, 


42  INTRODUCTION. 

the  door  is  shut ;  it  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  see,  but  it 
is  necessary  for  us  to  believe.  We  have  another  figure 
in  the  sign  given  to  Hezekiah.  When  he  was  sick  unto 
death,  the  sun ,  going  back  ten  degrees  was  the  sign  of 
his  restoration  to  health.  *And  the  sun  went  back 
ten  degrees  on  the  dial  of  Ahaz.*  In  like  manner,  that 
man  might  rise  from  the  sickness  unto  death  of  sin,  it 
was  necessary  that  *  the  Sun  of  Righteousness  '  should 
descend  through  the  nine  angelic  choirs,  *  being  made 
a  little  lower  than  the  angels,*  as  though  going  down 
nine  degrees  till  He  reached  man  the  tenth." 

"  The  Lord  said  to  Joshua,  *  Moses  My  servant  is 
dead :  now  therefore  arise,  go  over  this  Jordan,  thou, 
and  all  this  people,  unto  the  land  which  I  do  give  them ' 
(Joshua  i.  2).  Joshua  is  by  interpretation  a  Saviour, 
and  is  the  same  as  Jesus.  As  he,  after  conquering 
Amalek,  brought  the  people  into  the  land  of  promise, 
and  divided  the  land  between  them ;  so  has  Christ  come 
to  overcome  the  devil,  and  to  introduce  Christians  daily 
into  His  Church  through  the  Baptismal  stream,  and 
finally  to  lead  them  into  glory.  Moses  could  not  bring 
them  in,  for  the  Father  saith  unto  the  Son,  *  Moses  My 
servant  is  dead.'  The  ceremonies  of  the  law  are  made 
of  none  effect,  'now,  therefore,  arise'  from  the  bosom 
of  the  Father,  enter  the  earth  in  human  form,  expel 
the  devils :  '  go  over  this  Jordan,'  drink  of  the 
brook  of  Thy  Passion  in  the  way,  'Thou,  and  all 
this  people,'  for  by  the  way  by  which  goes  the  head, 
by  that  must  the  members  go,  and  where  leads  the 
general,  there  must  follow  the  soldiers,  *  and  go  unto  the 
land  which  I  do  give  them ' — the  land  of  the  living,  to 


INTRODUCTION.  43 

whicli  Christ  ascends  and  we  follow  ;  to  which  neither 
law  nor  prophets,  no  nor  Moses,  could  introduce  us,  but 
only  our  Joshua,  our  Jesus,  the  Son  of  God." 

I  have  not  yet  spoken  of  the  text,  except  to  mention 
Maillard  as  having  preached  on  the  same  throughout  a 
season  of  Lent.  Some  of  the  earlier  mediaeval  preachers 
delighted  in  selecting  strange  texts,  and  even  went  so 
far  as  to  take  them  from  other  books  than  Holy  Scrip- 
ture. Indeed  Stephen  Langton  composed  a  sermon, 
still  preserved  in  the  British  Museum,  and  published  in 
Biographia  Britannica  Literaria,  on  the  text : — 

"  Bele  Aliz  matin  leva  • 

Sun  cors  vesti  e  para, 
En2  un  verger  s'^en  entra, 
Cink  flurettes  y  truva, 
Un  chapelet  fet  en  a 

de  rose  flurie  j- 
Pur  Deu  trahez  vus  en  la, 

vus  hi  ne  amez  mie ;  "^ 

which  was  a  dancing-song.  Maillard  also  did  the  same 
thing  when  he  preached  in  Thoulouse,  singing  at  the 
top  of  his  voice  as  a  text  the  ballad  "  Bergeronnette 
Savoisienne." 

Peter  of  Celles  took  a  stanza  from  a  hymn,  and  his 
example  has  been  followed  by  others.  Hartung  preached 
from  the  words^  "  It  fell,  it  fell,  it  fell,"  occurring  in  the 
parable  of  the  sower. 

Texts  have  sometimes  been  selected  with  remarkable 
felicity.     I  have  room  for  two  instances  only. 

In  the  reign  of  King  James  I.,  a  clergyman  was  to 
preach  before  the  Vice- Chancellor  at  Cambridge,  who 


44  INTRODUCTION. 

was  a  very  drowsy  person.  He  took  his  text  from  the 
twenty-fourth  chapter  of  St.  Matthew,  "  "What,  can  ye 
not  watch  one  hour  ?  "  and  in  the  course  of  his  sermon 
very  often  repeated  these  words,  which  as  often  roused  the 
vice-chancellor  from  his  nap,  and  so  irritated  him,  that 
he  complained  to  the  bishop.  The  bishop  sent  for  the 
young  man,  that  he  might  hear  what  he  had  to  say  for 
himself  in  extenuation  of  the  offence  ;  and  so  well 
pleased  was  he  with  the  preacher's  defence,  that  he 
recommended  him  to  be  one  of  the  select  preachers 
before  the  King.  On  the  occasion  of  his  occupying 
the  pulpit  before  James  (First  of  England  and  Sixth  of 
Scotland),  he  took  for  his  text  James  i.  6,  "  Waver 
not,''  from  the  translation  then  in  use.  This  somewhat 
startled  the  King,  for  it  touched  him  on  a  weak  point ; 
but  he  loved  a  joke,  and  was  so  well  pleased  with  the 
preacher's  wit,  that  he  appointed  him  one  of  his  own 
chaplains.  After  this  the  bishop  ordered  the  young 
man  to  preach  again  before  his  university,  and  make 
his  peace  with  the  vice-chancellor.  He  did  so,  and 
took  for  his  text,  "  Whereas  I  said  before,  *  What,  can  ye 
not  watch  one  hour?'  and  it  gave  offence  ;  I  say  now 
unto  you,  *  Sleep  on,  and  take  your  rest.'"  And  so 
left  the  university.  The  other  story  is  less  known.  A 
Capuchin  having  to  preach  one  day  in  a  church  at — I 
believe — Lyons,  slipped  on  the  steps  into  the  pulpit, 
and  fell  on  his  head.  The  Franciscan  garb  is  scanty, 
and  the  congregation  were  startled  by  the  apparition  of 
a  couple  of  bare  and  brawny  legs  protruded  through  the 
banisters.  The  unlucky  preacher  however  picked  him- 
self up  with  great  rapidity,  and  stationing  himself  in 


INTRODUCTION.  45 

the  pulpit,  before  the  general  titter  had  subsided,  gave 
out  his  text,  selected  with  great  readiness  from  the 
gospel  for  the  day — "  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man." 

Next  to  the  text  in  a  sermon  comes  the  exordium. 

If  a  royal  personage  were  present,  some  compliment 
was  expected  to  be  paid  by  the  preacher  to  his  august 
hearer,  at  the  opening  of  the  sermon.  Some  of  the 
greatest  preachers  have  injured  their  reputation  by 
indulging  in  unmerited  flatteries.  Chaussemer,  a  Jacob- 
ite, preaching  after  the  famous  passage  of  the  Rhine, 
before  Louis  XIY.  in  Holy  Week,  when  according  to 
custom,  the  king  washed  the  feet  of  some  poor  folk, 
used  these  words,  "  The  haughty  waves  of  the  Rhine, 
which  you.  Sire,  have  passed  as  rapidly  as  they  them- 
selves are  rapid,  shall  one  day  be  dried  up ;  but  these 
drops  of  water,  which  your  royal  hands  have  sprinkled 
over  the  feet  of  the  poor,  shall  ever  be  treasured  before 
the  throne  of  God."  JS^oble  was  the  commencement  of 
a  sermon  of  Father  Seraphim,  when  preaching  before 
the  same  monarch.  "  Sire ! "  he  began,  "  I  am  not 
ignorant  of  the  fact  that  custom  requires  me  to  address 
to  you  a  compliment ;  I  pray  your  Majesty  to  excuse 
me ;  I  have  searched  my  Bible  for  a  compliment, — I 
have  found  none."  I  cannot  omit  here  the  really 
magnificent  exordium  of  a  preacher,  who,  in  his  matter 
and  style,  belonged  to  the  seventeenth  century,  but  who 
flourished  in  the  eighteenth — I  allude  to  Jacques  Bry- 
daine,  born  in  1701.  He  had  been  a  mission-preacher 
in  the  country,  when  he  was  suddenly  called  to  preach 
at  St.  Sulpice,  before  the  aristocracy  of  Paris.  The 
humble  country  parson,  on  mounting  the  pulpit,  saw 


46  INTRODUCTION. 

that  the  cliurcli  was  filled  with  courtiers,  nobles,  bishops, 
and  persons  of  the  highest  rank.  He  had  been  in- 
structed in  the  necessity  of  acknowledging  their  presence 
by  a  compliment.     But  listen  to  the  man  of  God. 

"  At  the  sight  of  an  audience  so  strange  to  me,  my 
brethren,  it  seems  that  I  ought  to  open  my  mouth  to 
ask  your  favour  in  behalf  of  a  poor  missionary,  deficient 
in  all  the  talents  you  require,  when  he  comes  before 
you  to  speak  of  your  welfare.  But  far  from  it,  to-day 
I  feel  a  different  sentiment ;  and  though  I  may  be 
humbled,  do  not  think  for  one  moment  that  I  am 
troubled  by  the  miserable  anxieties  of  vanity; — as 
though,  forsooth,  I  were  preaching  myself.  God  forbid 
that  a  minister  of  Heaven  should  ever  think  it  necessary 
to  excuse  himself  before  such  as  you !  Be  you  who  you 
may,  you  are  but  like  me,  sinners  before  the  judgment- 
seat  of  God.  It  is  then  only  because  I  stand  before 
your  God  and  my  God,  that  I  am  constrained  now 
to  beat  my  breast.  Hitherto  I  have  published  the 
righteous  dealings  of  the  Most  High  in  thatched 
temples.  I  have  preached  the  rigours  of  penitence  to 
unhappy  ones,  the  majority  of  whom  were  destitute  of 
bread.  I  have  announced  to  the  good  inhabitants  of 
the  fields,  the  most  awful  truths  of  religion.  Wretched 
one  that  I  am,  what  have  I  done !  I  have  saddened 
the  poor,  the  best  friends  of  my  God ;  I  have  carried 
terror  and  pain  into  the  simple  and  faithful  souls  which 
I  should  have  sympathized  with  and  consoled. 

"  But  here,  here,  where  my  eyes  rest  only  on  the  great, 
the  rich,  the  oppressors  of  suffering  humanity,  the  bold 
and  hardened  in  sin ;  ah !  here  only  is  it,  here  in  the 


INTRODUCTION.  47 

midst  of  these  many  scandals,  that  the  word  of  God 
should  be  uttered  with  the  voice  of  thunder ;  here  is  it 
that  I  must  hold  up  before  you,  on  one  hand  the  death 
which  threatens  you,  on  the  other,  my  great  God  who 
will  judge  you  all.  I  hold  at  this  moment  your  sen- 
tence in  my  hand.  Tremble  then  before  me,  you  proud 
and  scornful  men  who  listen  to  me.  Listen  when  I 
speak  of  your  ungrateful  abuse  of  every  means  of  grace, 
the  necessity  of  salvation,  the  certainty  of  death,  the 
uncertainty  of  that  hour  so  terrible  to  you,  final  im- 
penitence, the  last  judgment,  the  small  number  of  the 
elect,  hell,  and  above  all  eternity  !  Eternity  !  behold 
the  subjects  on  which  I  shall  speak,  subjects  which  I 
should  have  reserved  for  you  alone.  Ah !  what  need 
I  your  suffrages,  which  may,  perchance,  damn  me  with- 
out saving  you  ?  God  Himself  will  move  you,  whilst 
I,  His  unworthy  minister,  speak ;  for  I  have  acquired  a 
long  experience  of  His  mercies.  It  is  He,  and  He 
alone,  who  in  a  few  moments  will  stir  the  depths  of 
your  consciences."  ^ 

Passing  from  the  exordium  to  the  subject :  that 
which  is  so  tedious  in  modern  sermons  is  the  want  of 
variety  in  the  matter.  There  are  a  stock  of  subjects  of 
very  limited  range  upon  which  changes  are  rung,  but 
these  subjects  are  so  few  that  the  changes  are  small  in 
number.  Many  years  ago  I  was  staying  with  a  relation 
in  holy  orders,  after  a  tour  through  different  watering- 
places,  and  I  mentioned  to  him  the  curious  fact,  that  on 
three  consecutive  Sundays,  in  different  churches,  I  had 
heard  sermons  on  Felix  waiting  for  a  more  convenient 
season.     Having  mentioned  this,  I  forgot  the  circum- 


48  INTRODUCTION. 

stance.  Five  years  after  I  was  in  a  cathedral  town, 
and  went  to  one  of  the  churches  there,  on  a  Sunday- 
morning.  To  my  surprise  I  saw  my  relation  sail  up 
the  nave  in  rustling  silk,  preceded  by  the  verger,  escort- 
ing him  to  the  pulpit.  As  he  passed  my  pew,  our  eyes 
met.  He  was  as  surprised  to  see  me  as  I  was  to  see 
hira,  as  he  was  only  a  visitor  like  myself.  I  noticed 
signs  of  agitation  in  his  countenance,  and  that  he  was 
some  time  before  he  delivered  his  text,  which  was  upon 
Zaccheus  in  the  sycamore-tree. 

After  service  I  waited  for  him,  and  on  our  meeting, 
his  first  words  were,  "  You  wretched  fellow  !  You  put 
me  terribly  out ;  I  had  Felix  trembling  in  my  pocket 
ready  for  delivery;  but  when  I  saw  you,  our  conver- 
sation five  years  ago  flashed  across  me,  and  I  had  to 
change  the  sermon  in  the  pulpit."  But  this  was  not 
all.  Next  Saturday  I  was  at  the  other  end  of  England, 
staying  with  a  country  parson,  and  I  related  this  inci- 
dent. My  host  pulled  a  long  face,  broke  out  into  a 
profuse  perspiration,  and  said, — "  I  am  really  very  sorry, 
but  I  had  prepared  Felix  for  to-morrow,  and  what  is 
more,  I  do  not  see  my  way  towards  changing  the  sub- 
ject." 

The  remarkable  part  of  this  anecdote  is,  that  the 
moral  application  was  similar  in  all  these  discourses. 
Now,  the  sermons'  of  the  divines  of  the  fifteenth,  six- 
teenth, and  seventeenth  centuries  seldom  ofiended  in 
this  manner.  Matthias  Faber  published  three  enormous 
volumes  of  sermons  for  every  Sunday  in  the  year,  con- 
taining some  fifteen  discourses  for  each,  and  they  are 
perfectly  varied  in  matter  and  in  application. 


INTRODUCTION.  49 

The  following  is  a  list  of  tlie  subjects  for  one  Sunday 
— tlie  second  in  Lent : — 

St.  Matt.  xvii.  "  He  was  transfigured  before  them." 

Sermon  I. — The  means  whereby  a  hardened  sinner 
may  be  transformed  into  a  new  man,  and  his  heart  be 
softened. 

1.  By  constantly  hearing  God*s  Word. 

2.  By  assiduous  prayer. 

3.  By  earnest  endeavour. 

4.  By  diligent  practice  of  virtues.  ' 

Sermon  11. — The  incidents  which  took  place  on 
Mount  Tabor,  and  the  lessons  they  give  us. 

1.  By  labour  must  we  pass  to  glory,  for  it  was 

"  after  six  days  '*  and  a  laborious  ascent  that 
the  mountain-top  was  reached. 

2.  Beatitude  is  to  be  sought  above,  not  on  earth, 

for  the  disciples  were  rebuked  for  desiring 
to  make  tabernacles  on  earth,  the  true 
tabernacle  being  in  heaven. 

3.  In  every  act  we  should  consider  the  end :  thus 

Christ  in  the  glory  spoke  of  His  approach- 
ing decease. 

4.  Those  who  would  see  the  glory  of  God  must 

watch. 

5.  Christ  is  to  be  heard  by  all,  for  He  is  glorified 

of  His  Father. 

6.  Christ's   passion   to   be   constantly  before  the 

minds  of  His  servants. 


50  INTRODUCTION. 

Sermon  III. — What  might  be  seen  on  Mount  Tabor. 

1.  The  glory  of  Christ. 

2.  Our  own  future  glory,  the  reflex  of  His. 

3.  The  vanity  of  worldly  glory. 

4.  The  certainty  of  future  judgment  ^ 

Sermon  TV. — Why  Christ  in  His  passion  made  His  de- 
cease (excessum) .  The  point  of  this  sermon  depends  on  the 
various  significations  of  the  Yulgate  expression,  excessics. 

1.  He  deceased  (excessit)  to  show  us  how  great  an 

evil  is  sin. 

2.  To  show  us  His  fervent  love. 

3.  To  compensate  for  our  evil  deaths  by  His  most 

perfect  and  holy  death. 

4.  To  compensate  for  our  defects  by  His   super- 

abundant merits. 

Sermon  Y. — Pious  exercises  for  the  season  of  Lent. 

1.  The  exercise  of  fasting;    set  before  us  by  the 

example  of  Moses  and  Elias,  each  of  whom 
fasted  during  forty  days. 

2.  The  exercise  of  prayer;   set  before  us  by  the 

example  of  Christ,  who  was  transfigured 
"  as  He  prayed."    (Luke  ix.  29.) 

3.  The  exercise  of  conversion;    set  before  us  by 

Christ's  raiment  becoming  white  and  glister- 
ing; teaching  us  that  we  must  wash  our 
robes,  and  make  them  white  in  the  blood  of 
the  Lamb. 

'  The  maimer  in  which  these  and  other  points  are  deduced  from  the 
text  cannot  be  explained  here;  suffice  it  to  say  that  it  exhibits  great 
ingenuity  and  subtlety  in  the  preacher. 


INTRODUCTION.  51 

4.  The  exercise  of  making  devout  use  of  God's 

Word;  "This  is  My  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased ;  hear  ye  Him." 

5.  The  exercise  of  the  memory  of  Christ's  passion  ; 

by  the  example  of  Moses  and  Elias  talking 
with  Him  of  "  His  decease  which  He  should 
accomplish  at  Jerusalem." 

6.  The  exercise  of  present  opportunities  of  grace, 

before  the  cloud  obscures  Christ,  and  ye 
desire  "  to  see  one  of  the  days  of  the  Son  of 
Man,  and  shall  not  see  it." 

Sermon  YI. — The  transfiguration  of  Satan  into  an 
angel  of  light,  and  how  he  deceives  men. 

1.  He  leads  them  into  the  high  mountain  of  pride, 

that  thence  he  may  cast  them  down. 

2.  He  dazzles  by  the  splendour  of  his  countenance. 

3.  He  puts  on  a  show  of  virtue,  like   glistering 

raiment. 

4.  He  brings  upon  men  a  cloud  of  doubts   and 

difficulties  and  worldly  delights. 

5.  From  that  cloud  he  utters  a  loud  voice,  filling 

men  with  fear  at  the   difficulties   besetting 
them  if  they  would  begin  the  service  of  Gfod. 

6.  He  chooses  his  apostles. 

7.  He  produces  Elias  ;  example  of  indiscreet  zeal. 

8.  He  brings  forward  Moses ;  example  of  exagge- 

rated meekness. 

Sermon  YII. — Eternal    good  things   ofiered  us  by 
God :  what  they  are  and  what  their  nature. 

1.  They  are  solid  and  true.     For  the  transfigura- 
D  2 


52  INTRODUCTION. 

tlon  was  not  a  mere  dreaming  vision,  l)ut 
seen  when  the  three  "  were  awake." 

2.  They  are  pure  and  sincere ;  unmixed  with  care, 

or  pain,  or  toil. 

3.  They  are  secure  and  stable. 

4.  They  are  perfect  and  complete. 

5.  They  are  realities,  not  promises. 

6.  They  are  bought  at  a  low  price. 

Sermon  YIII. — Wherefore  Christ  was  transfigured. 

1.  To  establish  our  faith  in  the  resurrection. 

2.  To  excite  our  hope, 

3.  To  kindle  our  love. 

4.  To  console  the  Church. 

5.  To  show  who  He  was. 

6.  To  teach  us  to  despise  the  world. 

7.  To  give  a  moment's  joy  to  His  body,  wearied 

with  fasting,  watching,  and  toil. 

Sermon  IX. — The  great  Parliament  held  on  Tabor, 
and  what  was  treated  of  there. 

1.  The  death  of  Christ  was  discussed. 

2.  The  glory  of  Christ  the  Mediator  and  Legislator. 

3.  The  imperial  laws  were  drawn  up ;  that 

a.  The  cross  should  precede  the  crown ; 
/3.  The  end  should  be  held  ever  in  view ; 

7.  Beatitude  should  be  sought  above ; 

8.  The  passion  should  ever  be  had  in  re- 

membrance. 

Sermon  X. — On  the  meaning  of  excessus. 

Sermon  XI. — Man's  fourfold  transfiguration. 
1.  From  a  state  of  grace  into  one  of  sin. 


INTRODUCTION.  53 

2.  From  a  state  of  sin  into  a  state  of  grace. 

3.  From  the  state  of  delight  in  this  world  into  the 

misery  of  hell. 

4.  From  the  state  of  pain  here  to  the  glory  of 

Heaven. 

Sermon  XII. — The  ^ve  sources  of  joy  to  the  re- 
deemed. 

1.  The  place — Heaven. 

2.  The  society  of  the  blessed. 

3.  The  delights  of  the  senses,  especially  of  the  eyes 

and  ears. 

4.  The  dowers  of  the  risen  body ;  glory,  agility, 

subtlety,  and  impassibility. 

5.  The  beatific  vision  of  God. 

Sermon  XIII. — The  estimation  in  which  indulgences 
are  to  be  held. 

Sermon  XI Y. — Lessons  drawn  from  the  Gospel. 

1.  The  power  of  prayer. 

2.  The  duty  of  watching. 

3.  The  image    of    worldliness    in    Peter,   to    be 

avoided. 

4.  The  lightest  sins  to  be  shunned. 

5.  The  difference  in  the  falls  of  good  and  bad. 

6.  The  fleeting  nature  of  joy  here  on  earth. 

7.  The  signs  of  Christ's  coming  in  judgment. 

Sermon  XY. — Mysteries  contained  in  the  Gospel. 

1.  Why  Christ  elected  only  three  of  His  disciples. 

2.  Why  He  led  them  into  a  mountain  apart. 

D  3 


54  INTRODUCTION. 

3.  Of  the  nature  of  the  Transfiguration. 

4.  Why  Moses  and  Elias  appeared. 

5.  Why  they  spoke  of  the  passion, 

6.  Why  the  cloud  overshadowed  the  vision. 

7.  Why  the  disciples  were  bidden  to  be  silent  re- 

specting the  vision. 

8.  How  the  Father  is  well  pleased  in  the" Son. 

9.  The  order  of  events  in  the  Transfiguration. 

These  sermons  of  Matthias  Faber,  and  indeed  most  of 
the  sermons  of  great  preachers  in  the  sixteenth  and 
seventeenth  centuries,  are  very  simple  in  construction. 
The  system  of  dividing  into  a  great  number  of  heads, 
and  then  subdividing,  had  been  cast  aside  by  the  Catholic 
preachers  at  the  Keformation,  as  unprofitable.  But 
Protestant  orators  continued  the  baneful  practice.  It 
prevailed  till  lately  in  England,  and  is  common  still  in 
Scotland.  Dr.  Neale  remarks,  "  One  would  think,  to 
read  some  of  the  essays  written  on  the  subject,  that  the 
construction,  of  a  sermon  was  like  a  law  of  the  Modes 
and  Persians.  Look  at  Mr.  Simeon's  one-and-twenty 
tedious  volumes  of  'Horae  Homiletica3.'  The  worthy 
man  evidently  considered  this  the  greatest  system  of 
divinity  which  English  theology  had  ever  produced. 
And  of  what  does  it  consist?  of  several  thousand  ser- 
mons treated  exactly  in  the  same  ways,  in  obedience  to 
precisely  the  same  laws,  and  of  much  about  the  same 
length.  Claude's  Essay  had  laid  down  certain  rules, 
and  Simeon's  Discourses  were  their  exemplification.  .  .  . 
The  preacher  opens  with  a  short  view  of  the  circum- 
stances  under  which   the   text   was   spoken.     This   is 


INTRODUCTION.  55 

a  very  convenient  exordium,  because  it  fills  two  or  three 
pages  with  but  little  trouble.  The  clergyman  has  only 
to  put  Scripture  language  into  his  own,  and  he  is  fairly 
launched  in  his  sermon  without  any  efibrt.  Another 
almost  equally  easy  method  of  opening  is  to  be  found 
in  drawing  a  contrast  between  the  person  or  thing  of 
which  the  passage  in  hand  speaks,  and  that  to  which 
the  writer  may  wish  to  allude.  And  it  has  this  special 
advantage ;  that  if  he  is  unlucky  in  finding  much  like 
ness  between  the  two,  he  is  sure  to  discover  a  good 
deal  of  ^m-likeness,  and  either  treatment  will  supply  a 
good  number  of  words.  Thus,  as  every  one  knows, 
come  the  heads, —a  most  important  part  in  this  style  of 
discourse.  Taking  Mr.  Simeon  as  a  pattern,  we  shall  find 
that  they  cannot  be  less  than  two,  nor  more  than  four ; 
though,  indeed,  there  are  not  wanting  those  who  have 
greatly  extravagated  beyond  the  superior  limit,  as  the 
Puritan  divine's  '  And  now,  to  be  brief,  I  would  observe 
eighteenthly,  that — '  so  and  so,  may  suffice  to  prove. 
Then  come  all  the  minutiae  of  subdivisions  and  under- 
divisions  (little  heads,  as  the  charity  children  call  them), 
all  set  forth,  when  the  aforesaid  discourses  came  to  be 
printed,  in  corresponding  variations  of  type."  After 
a  lengthy  exordium,  one  Sunday  evening,  a  preacher 
divided  his  subject  into  twenty  heads,  each  of  which  he 
purposed  D.Y.  considering  in  all  its  bearings.  On 
hearing  this,  a  man  in  the  congregation  started  up  and 
proceeded  to  leave  the  church,  when  the  preacher  called 
to  him,  "  Wherefore  leave,  friend ? "  "I  am  going  for 
my  nightcap,"  replied  the  man  ;  "  for  I  plainly  see  that 
we  shall  have  to  pass  the  night  in  church." 

D  4 


56  INTRODUCTION. 

The  conclusion  in  an  old  sermon  of  tlie  three  cen- 
turies under  review,  is  short,  pithy,  and  to  the  purpose. 
It  consists  in  a  vehement  appeal  to  the  consciences  of 
the  hearers,  in  the  application  of  a  parable  or  a  Scrip- 
tural illustration,  in  a  rapturous  exclamation  to  God  in 
the  form  of  a  brief  extempore  prayer,  or  in  a  string  of 
anecdotes  and  examples.  The  following  is  a  conclu- 
sion by  Guevara,  Bishop  of  Mondoneda  : — 

"  Tell  me,  0  good  Jesu,  tell  me,  is  there  any  thing  in 
a  rotten  sepulchre  which  is  not  in  my  sorrowful  soul 
and  unhappy  life  ?  In  me  more  than  in  any  shall  be 
found  hard  stones  of  obstinacy,  a  painted  sepulchre  of 
hypocrisy,  dry  bones  of  old  sins,  unprofitable  ashes  of 
works  without  fruit,  gnawing  worms  of  great  concu- 
piscence, and  an  ill  odour  of  an  evil  conscience.  What, 
then,  will  become  of  me,  O  good  Jesu !  if  Thou  do  not 
break  the  stones  of  my  faults,  throw  down  the  sepulchre 
of  my  hypocrisy,  reform  the  bones  of  my  sins,  and  sift 
the  ashes  of  my  unruly  desires  ?  Raise  me  up,  then,  0 
good  Jesu !  raise  me  now  up :  not  from  among  the 
dead  which  sleep,  but  from  among  sins  which  stink,  for 
that  the  justification  of  a  wicked  man  is  a  far  greater 
matter  than  the  raising  up  of  a  dead  man  ;  because  that 
in  the  one  Thou  dost  use  Thy  power,  and  in  the  other 
Thou  dost  exert  Thy  clemency.'^ 

Many  of  Paoletti's  sermons  conclude  with  a  string 
of  incidents  and  stories,  from  which  I  presume  any 
preacher  using  the  sermon  might  select  that  which 
seemed  to  him  most  appropriate. 

The  effect  produced  by  the  sermons  of  these  ancient 
preachers  was   sometimes   extraordinary.     Jerome   de 


INTRODUCTION.  57 

!N"arni  preacliecL  one  day  before  the  Pope,  with  such  zeal, 
on  the  duties  of  residence,  that  next  day,  thirty  bishops 
fled  from  Rome  to  their  several  dioceses.  St.  John 
Capistran,  a  Franciscan,  preached  in  1452  at  Nurem- 
berg, in  the  great  square  of  the  town,  and  he  spoke 
with  such  vehemence  against  gambling,  that  the  inha- 
bitants brought  out  their  dice,  cards,  and  tables,  heaped 
them  up  and  burned  them  before  him.  The  same  thing 
happened  next  year  at  Breslau.  Of  the  marvellous 
conversions,  the  result  of  their  powerful  preaching,  of 
course  we  can  know  but  little,  though  there  is  evidence 
that  they  were  neither  few  nor  un enduring.  It  was 
not  an  uncommon  thing  for  people  to  throw  themselves 
at  the  foot  of  the  pulpit,  and  denounce  themselves  of 
crimes  they  had  committed,  or  to  throng  the  preacher 
after  the  sermon  was  over,  earnestly  desiring  him  to 
hear  their  confessions.  But  the  most  original  scene, 
the  result  of  a  sermon  of  great  power,  exhorting  to  con- 
fession and  amendment,  took  place  in  a  church  at  Turin, 
during  Lent  in  1780.  After  the  most  touching  appeal 
of  the  preacher,  a  man  stood  up  and  began  to  confess 
his  sins  aloud.  He  said  that  he  was  a  lawyer,  and  that 
his  life  had  been  one  of  extortion.  He  mentioned  the 
names  of  several  families  which  he  had  pillaged,  widows' 
houses  he  had  devoured,  orphans'  substance  which  he 
had  conveyed  into  his  own  pocket.  This  went  on  for 
some  little  while,  when  suddenly  a  gentleman  on  the 
other  side  of  the  church  sprang  up,  and  in  a  voice 
choking  with  rage,  exclaimed,  "  Don't  believe  him !  it 
is  not  true.  The  good-for-nothing  fellow  is  de- 
scribing me  and  my  acts ;   but  I  never  did  any  thing 

D  5 


58  INTRODUCTION. 

of  the  kind !  "     It  was  evident  to  all  that   the   cap 
fitted. 

The  story  is  told  of  a  rich  usurer  of  Yicenza  urging 
the  ecclesiastical  authorities  of  the  town  to  send  for  an 
eminent  preacher  to  declaim  against  usury.  "  He  has 
converted  many  usurers  in  various  towns  of  Italy/'  said 
the  man,  "and  I  should  not  in  the  least  scruple  to 
pay  some  of  the  expense  of  his  coming  here."  "  But," 
said  the  clergyman  to  whom  he  spoke,  "  if  you  are 
determined  on  your  own  conversion,  you  surely  need 
not  the  exhortations  of  a  preacher  to  strengthen  your 
resolutions."  "  Oh  ! "  replied  the  usurer,  "  it  is  not  for 
myself.  This  town  is  so  full  of  usurers,  that  there  is  no 
room  for  a  poor  fellow  like  me  to  gain  a  livelihood. 
Now  if  they  were  all  converted,  and  gave  up  their  evil 
habits,  there  would  be  some  chance  of  my  being  able 
to  pick  up  a  living." 

There  were,  indeed,  preachers  who  were  sent  round 
the  country  to  declaim  against  certain  special  sins. 
Their  forte  lay  in  attacking  one  species  of  guilt,  but 
they  were  inefiective  when  preaching  on  another  point. 
There  were  preachers  whose  strength  lay  in  panegyrics 
upon  saints  ;  and  others  who — I  pity  them — were  great 
in  fimereal  discourses.  Of  the  latter  class  was  Gemi- 
ntano,  a  Dominican,  whose  "  sermones  funebres  "  were 
published  at  Antwerp  in  octavo,  1611.  They  are  ninety- 
eight  in  number.  He  preached  over  the  graves  of 
popes,  archbishops,  bishops,  abbots,  soldiers,  doctors, 
rich  men  and  beggars,  beautiful  women,  an  emperor, 
a  drowned  man,  a  prisoner  who  died  in  jail,  an  executed 
criminal,  and  a  murdered  man  or  two ;  he  preached  at 


INTRODUCTION.  59 

the  interment  of  mercliants,  fishermen,  ploughmen,  and 
huntsmen — in  short,  it  would  be  hard  to  find  some  over 
whom  John  Geminiano  did  not  dolorously  hold  forth. 
A  sad  moment  for  Geminiano  when  he  first  let  people 
understand  that  his  strong  point  lay  in  a  grave. 

A  really  great  preacher  was  never  suffered  to  hide 
his  light  under  a  bushel;  according  to  our  parochial 
system,  the  most  eloquent  man  of  the  day  may,  for 
aught  we  know,  be  perched  on  the  top  of  a  Wiltshire 
down,  or  be  buried  in  the  clay  of  a  North  Devon  par- 
sonage, fifteen  miles  from  a  railway. 

The  Eoman  Church  had  the  regular  clergy  to  draw 
upon  for  preachers,  and  as  they  had  no  ties,  could  send 
them  up  and  down  the  country,  so  that  the  same  course 
of  sermons  would  serve  them  again  and  again.  Indeed, 
otherwise  it  would  have  been  impossible  for  some  of  the 
favourite  preachers  to  have  continued  providing  fresh 
matter  and  committing  it  to  memory,  for  it  must  be 
remembered  written  sermons  are  not  tolerated  in  the 
Roman  communion.  It  might  be  possible  for  an  elo- 
quent man  with  a  lively  imagination  to  continue  for 
long  without  exhausting  himself,  but  how  could  a  solid 
and  learned  preacher,  who  relied  on  quotations,  continue 
extracting  and  committing  to  memory  long  paragraphs 
from  the  Fathers,  Sunday  after  Sunday,  and  year  after 
year  ?  Let  us  take  a  sermon  of  Mangotius  the  Jesuit, 
for  instance. 

Adrian  Mangotius  was  a  Dutchman,  and  consequently 
eminently  practical  and  unimaginative.  His  sermons 
are  good  in  their  way ;  there  is  not  a  bit  of  originality 
in  them,  but  the  fragments  of  which  they  are  composed 

D  6 


60  INTRODtJCTIOK. 

are  judiciously  selected.  In  Hs  fifty-ninth  discourse, 
lie  quotes  St.  Matthew  four  times,  St.  Luke  thrice,  St. 
John  twice,  the  Epistles  five  times,  Reyelation  once,  the 
Old  Testament  ten  times,  St.  Augustine  a  dozen  times, 
St.  Gregory  four  times,  St.  Ambrose  twice,  St.  Jerome 
twice,  St.  Bernard  twice,  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  once, 
Cicero  some  three  or  four  times,  Plutarch,  Sallust,  and 
Yirgil  once. 

This  'style  of  sermon  suits  some  people,  perhaps,  but 
it  did  not  take  with  the  masses,  who  liked  richness  of 
imagery,  abundance  of  simile,  and  neatness  of  illustra- 
tion. So  when  Father  d'Harrone,  a  man  of  sound 
learning,  but  little  brilliancy  of  genius,  preached  a 
course  in  Rouen,  after  the  great  Bourdaloue,  to  use  his 
own  words  : — "  When  Bourdaloue  preached  last  year 
at  Rouen,  artisans  quitted  their  business,  merchants 
their  wares,  lawyers  the  court,  doctors  their  sick ;  but 
as  for  me,  when  I  followed,  I  set  all  in  order  again ;  no 
one  neglected  his  occupation." 

In  the  following  pages  I  have  given  a  sketch  of  some 
of  the  most  remarkable  preachers  of  the  fifteenth,  six- 
teenth, and  seventeenth  centuries.  The  divine  and  the 
bibliographer  may  miss  the  names  of  some  great  and 
eminent  men,  as  Paolo  Segneri,  Antonio  Yieyra, 
Latimer,  Andrewes,  &c.  But  these  men  are  either  well 
known,  or  their  lives  and  sermons  are  within  the  reach 
of  English  readers.  Segneri's  Lenten  sermons  have 
been  translated  and  somewhat  diluted  by  Prebendary 
Ford,  Yieyra  is  noticed  in  •  *  Mediaeval  Sermons,"  and 
English  preachers  I  have  omitted  entirely  to  notice, 
because  they  are  for  the  most  part  hopelessly  dull. 


GABRIEL  BIEL. 


This  excellent  and  learned  man  is  generally  supposed, 
from  his  name  Biel,  the  modern  Bienne,  to  have  been  a 
Swiss,  though  some  assert  that  he  was  a  native  of  Spire, 
and  the  latter  is  probably  the  real  place  of  his  nativity, 
though  his  family  may  have  been  of  Swiss  extraction, 
for  he  is  called  "  Gabriel  Biel  ex  Spira  "  in  the  beginning 
of  his  "  Sermones  de  tempore,''  as  published  by  Johan 
Otmar,  in  Tubingen,  1510. 

He  went  by  the  name  of  "  the  Collector,"  from  the 
fact  of  his  being  a  laborious  compiler  rather  than  an. 
original  composer. 

He  was  undoubtedly  one  of  the  best  scholastic  divines 
of  his  age,  and  was  a  careful  reader  of  the  Fathers. 

Gabriel  Biel  was  a  member  of  the  Regular  Canons, 
and  was  Doctor  of  Theology,  which  he  taught  as  pro- 
fessor in  the  University  of  Tubingen,  founded  by  Count 
Eberhardt  of  Wirtemberg,  in  1477. 

He  soon  became  a  favourite  with  this  nobleman,  who 
listened  to  his  sermons  with  delight. 

At  one  time  he  was  vicar  and  ordinary  preacher  at 
the  metropolitan  church  of  St.  Martin  at  Mainz,  but  the 
date  of  his  appointment  is  uncertain.     Gabriel  Biel  was 


62  GABRIEL   BIEL. 

a  man  of  gravity  and  learning;  his  sermons  were  popular, 
not  on  account  of  the  eloquence  with  which  they  were 
delivered,  for  of  that  there  was  little,  but  of  their 
beautiful  simplicity  and  intrinsic  excellence. 

His  hearers  were  not  amused  by  his  discourses,  but  I 
venture  to  say  that  they  were  edified. 

His  style  is  pithy,  his  sentences  pregnant  with 
meaning,  for  what  he  said,  he  said  in  few  words,  and 
he  said  it  too  very  gracefully.  Instead  of  wearying  his 
hearers  with  unprofitable  scholastic  quibbles,  he  gave 
them  practical  good  advice  in  plain  and  homely  words. 

The  date  of  his  death  is  not  known  with  certainty, 
but  it  probably  took  place  in  1495,  though,  according 
to  some,  he  lived  till  1520. 

His  works  and  their  diiferent  editions  are :  — 

Commentaria  in  libros  iv.  Magistri  Sententiarum ; 
Basil.,  1512 ;  Brixise,  1574,  5  vols,  in  3,  4to. 

In  Sententias  ;  Parisiis,  1514,  fol. ;  Basileae,  Joe.  de 
Pfortzen,  1512,  2  vols.  fol. ;  Lugduni,  Jacobus  Myt, 
1527,  fol. 

Sententiarum  repertorium  generale  ;  Lugduni,  Cleyn, 
1614,  fol. 

Historia  Dominicse  Passionis,  prodiit  una  cum  Defen- 
Sorio  et  Sermonibus  cunctis ;  Hagense,  1519. 

Passionis  Dominicse  sermo  historialis ;  sine  loco  et 
anno,  4to. 

Sermones  dominicales  de  tempore.  Sermones  de  fes- 
tivitatibus  Christi.  Absque  loci  et  anni  nota,  4to.  ; 
sine  loco  impressionis,  1494,  fol.,  Goth.,  a  2  col.  ; 
Tubingen,  Otmar,  1510,  Goth.,  2  col. ;  Haguenaw, 
1515,  4ta 


GABRIEL    BIEL.  63 

Sermones  de  Sanctis.  Absque  loci  et  anni  nota,  4to. 
Ejusdem  de  festivitatibus  Yirginis  Maria),  1599,  4to. 

Sermones  gacri  totius  anni;  Brixioe,  1583,  4to. 

Sermones  medicinales  contra  Pestem  et  Mortis  Timo- 
rem;  Defensoriumobedientiaepontificis.  Expositiocanonis 
Migsae ;  Lugduni,  1514,  fol. ;  Parisiis,  Jehan  Petit,  1516, 
fol.,Goth. ;  Hagenoise,  1519,  fol. ;  Antuerpiee,  1549,  8vo.; 
Lugduni,  1542  ;  Yenet.,  1576  ;  Brixise,  1580  ;  Bergomi, 
1594. 

Lectura  super  canonem  Miss93,  in  alma  universitate 
Tuwingensi  ordinarie  lecta ;  Eeutlingae,  Otmar,  1488, 
fol. 

Tractatus  de  Monetarum  potestate  simul  et  utilitate ; 
[N'orembergise,  1442,  4to.  ;  Colon.,  1574,  4to. ;  Lugduni, 
1605,  4to. 

Epitome  script!  Gulielmi  de  Occam,  et  CoUectorium 
circa  iv.  libr.  Sent.     Still  in  MS. 

The  Exposition  of  the  Mass  which  passes  under  the 
name  of  Biel  is  really  a  copy  from  the  work  of  Eggeling 
of  Brunswick,  as,  indeed,  Biel  owns  at  the  end  of  the 
book. 

The  simple  earnestness  of  Gabriel  Biel  renders  his 
sermons  very  attractive  ;  and  as  being  the  production  of 
a  well-read  and  a  thoughtful  man,  these  sermons  furnish 
ample  material  for  reproduction  in  the  modern  pulpit. 
The  reader  will  not  find  in  Biel  much  of  the  fire  of  the 
Italian  pulpit,  nor  the  richness  of  simile  which  charac- 
terized the  Spanish  preachers,  but  he  will  find  plain 
truths  drawn  from  Scripture  in  a  very  straightforward 
manner,  and  applied  in  short  but  nervous  sentences. 

Perhaps  the  main  difierence   between  a  sermon  of 


64  GABRIEL   BIEL. 

Biel  and  one  of  a  modern  preacher,  is,  that  the  former 
contains  many  thoughts  in  few  words,  whilst  the  latter 
consists  of  many  words,  but  contains  few  thoughts. 

Analysis  of  Sermon  xix.  "  De  tempore,"  being  a 
sermon  for  Septuagesima,  on  the  text  from  the  Gospel : 
"  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  man  that  is  an 
householder,  which  went  out  early  in  the  morning  to 
hire  labourers  into  his  vineyard,"  &c.  (Matt.  xx.  1.) 
Introduction. 

Hitherto  the  Church  has  been  keeping  festival. 
"Now  she  closes  her  season  of  festivity,  that 
she  may  lament  and  weep  for  the  lapse  of  her 
sons. 
A.  (1)  Man's  nature  as  it  left  the  Creator's  hands 
was  very  noble.  It  was  immortal,  not  by 
nature,  but  by  grace.  By  nature  it  was 
capable  of  decay  and  death,  but  by  grace  it 
was  provided  with  the  tree  of  life,  the  fruit 
of  which  renovated  and  preserved  it. 

(2)  Man's  life  was  maintained  subject  to  a  con- 

dition, the  condition  of  obedience.  Its  pre- 
servation was  contingent  on  the  keeping  of 
God's  commandment. 

The  soul  as  created  was  innocent ;  man  was 
wise  in  intellect  and  clean  in  affections;  he 
was  associated  with  angels,  accustomed  to  con- 
verse with  God,  peaceful  in  conscience,  and 
endowed  with  all  gifts  of  nature  and  grace. 

(3)  Man's  knowledge  of  God  was  not  enigmatical, 
but  intuitive.     He  saw  God  by  some  internal 


GABRIEL    BIEL.  GO 

power  of  contemplation  :  a  power  not  so  per- 
fect as  that  will  be  which  we  shall  possess  in 
our  country,  nor  so  imperfect  as  that  which 
we  have  in  the  way. 

(4)  Man's  conscience  was  at  peace  with  God ;  and 

internal  peace  implies  external  peace  as  well. 
Paradise  was  a  place  of  perfect  peace,  for  the 
elements  were  tranquil,  the  animals  were  in 
subjection,  nourishment  was  in  abundance. 

Had  this  state  of  peace  continued,  man 
would  not  have  died,  but  he  would  have  been 
translated  to  Heaven  without  death. 

(5)  But  alas !  all  this  was  forfeited  by  sin ;  and 
man  was  spoiled  of  his  graces,  and  wounded 
in  his  faculties. 

He  lost  original  righteousness,  and  with  its 
loss  his  tranquillity  was  disturbed,  his  flesh 
became  unbridled,  his  intellect  parched,  his 
will  depraved,  his  memory  disturbed. 

(6)  Creation  was  moreover  armed  against  him,  so 
that  earth  was  no  more  ready  to  nourish  him 
spontaneously ;  but  he  was  constrained  to  la- 
bour in  the  sweat  of  his  brow  for  his  daily 
bread. 

B.  And  now  we  are  led  to  a  consideration  of  the 
Gospel  for  the  day,  which  speaks  of  fallen 
man,  and  of  fallen  man  working,  and  working 
moreover  to  recover  the  conditions  which  he 
had  before  he  fell. 

The  Gospel  is  full  of  doctrine  and  dogma  suited  to 
all  conditions  of  men. 


66  GABRIEL   BIEL. 

Doctrine  I.  is  serviceable  for  increasing  our  faith. 
For  the  Gospel  teaches  us  that  in  no  other 
way  can  we  attain  the  reward  of  the  kingdom, 
than  by  working  with  true  faith  in  the  Lord's 
vineyard,  which  is  the  Church. 

It  is  not  sufficient  that  we  should  be  called,  we 
must  work  as  well. 

Work  is  not  sufficient,  unless  it  be  work  in  the 
Lord's  vineyard. 

Work  in  vineyards  of  our  own  planting  will  never 
be  paid  for  by  the  Lord  of  the  vineyard,  when 
He  comes  to  give  the  labourers  their  hire. 

Again;  this  Gospel  opposes  the  presumption  of 
those  carnally-minded  men  who  think  to  be 
saved  by  faith  only ;  whereas  faith  without 
works  is  dead,  being  alone. 

Doctrine  II.  giveth  hope.  For  it  shows  that  the 
kingdom  of  Heaven  is  open  to  all,  and  closed 
to  none  ;  all  are  called  to  the  work,  even  though 
it  be  at  the  last  hour.  So  long  as  there  is  life 
there  is  hope. 

Again ;  this  Gospel,  at  the  same  time  as  it 
shows  that  none  should  despair,  opposes  all  sloth 
and  cowardice  in  undertaking  the  work  of  the 
salvation  of  the  soul. 

Doctrine  III.  inflames  charity.  For  it  exhibits  to 
us  in  a  remarkable  manner  the  love  of  the 
Father  towards  man ;  a  love  which  embraces 
all,  and  rejects  none  ;  a  love  ready  to  reward 
both  the  righteous  and  the  unrighteous,  both 
the  good  and  the  bad,  if  the  unrighteous  and 


GABRIEL    B1EL»  67 

bad  will  but  turn  from  their  evil  ways,  and  be 
converted,  that  He  may  heal  them.  Examples 
of  those  called  at  late  stages  of  life,  and  yet 
meriting  a  reward  equal  to  those  who  have 
borne  the  burden  and  heat  of  the  day,  are 
afforded  by  David,  St.  Peter,  St.  Paul,  St. 
Matthew,  and  St.  Mary  Magdalen. 

Again  ;  by  this  Gospel  all  excuse  is  removed 
from  those  who  neglect  the  work  of  their 
salvation,  for  no  man  can  say  that  he  has 
not  been  hired,  inasmuch  as  God  calls  him 
throughout  life  ;  calling  him  externally  and 
internally,  —  externally,  by  the  beauty  of 
creation,  by  the  Holy  Scriptures,  by  preach- 
ing, by  the  scourge  of  afflictions ;  internally, 
by  shame  at  sin  committed,  by  fear  occasioned 
by  the  knowledge  of  the  uncertainty  of  the 
hour  of  deatli,  by  dread  of  judgment,  by  horror 
of  hell,  by  promises  of  absolution,  of  glory, 
and  by  aspirations  of  love  for  the  mysteries  of 
Redemption. 
Doctrine  lY.  induces  to  humility.  For  it  shows  us 
that  no  man  should  puff  himself  up  with  spiri- 
tual pride,  because  he  may  have  laboured  long 
in  his  Lord's  vineyard,  or  may  have  been  kept 
free  from  falling  into  heinous  crimes ;  by  this 
Gospel  he  is  taught  that  many  that  are  first 
shall  be  last,  and  the  last  shall  be  first.  "  Why 
dost  thou  judge  thy  brother?  or  why  dost 
thou  set  at  nought  thy  brother  ?  for  we  shall 
all  stand  before  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ." 


68  GABRIEL   BIEL. 

"Therefore  judge  nothing  before  the  time, 
until  the  Lord  come,  who  both  will  bring 
to  light  the  hidden  things  of  darkness,  and 
will  make  manifest  the  counsels  of  the  hearts  ; 
and  then  shall  every  man  have  praise  of  God/' 

Doctrine  Y.  urges  to  the  fear  of  God,  lest  by  delay 
in  undertaking  the  work  of  his  conversion, 
man  should  neglect  the  call  of  God  to  work, 
and  lest  he  thereby  lose  his  hire. 

"  Let  him  that  thinketh  he  standeth,  take 
heed  lest  he  fall."  *'  "Watch  ye,  therefore, 
for  ye  know  not  when  the  Master  of  the 
house  Cometh,  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or 
at  the  cock- crowing,  or  in  the  morning :  lest 
coming  suddenly.  He  find  you  sleeping." 

Conclusion.  Finally,  let  all  keep  in  mind  the 
awful  sentence  of  Him  who  cannot  err :  "  Many 
are  called,  but  few  are  chosen."  Let  each  fear 
for  himself,  lest  he  be  found  among  the  number 
of  the  called  who  have  neglected  the  vocation ; 
and  let  him  strive  by  all  means  in  his  power 
to  be  of  the  number  of  the  chosen. 

This  sermon  is  followed  by  another  on  the  same 
Gospel ;  the  subject  being,  the  small  number  of  the 
elect. 

The  analysis  given  will  show  how  wholesome  and 
practical  were  the  discourses  of  this  truly  pious  and 
learned  man. 


JEAN   RAULIN. 


John  Raulin,  bom  at  Toul  in  1443,  of  noble  and 
wealthy  parents,  was  educated  at  the  Navarre  College 
in  Paris,  and  took  honours  in  theology  in  the  year 
1479. 

In  1481  he  was  elected  President  in  the  place  of 
WiUiam  de  Chateaufort,  and  he  filled  the  position  with 
the  utmost  probity,  and  ruled  with  singular  discretion. 

In  1497  he  resigned  the  mastership  and  retired  to 
Cluni,  where  he  lived  a  life  of  great  sanctity. 

In  1501  he  obtained  a  commission  from  Cardinal 
Ambassiani  to  introduce  a  reform  into  the  Benedictine 
Order.  He  died  at  Paris  in  the  Cluniac  monastery,  on 
February  6th,  1514,  aged  seventy-one. 

Raulin  was  a  man  of  considerable  piety,  of  blameless 
life,  and  of  the  utmost  integrity.  He  seems  to  have 
been  regarded  in  his  day  as  a  great  preacher,  and  his 
sermons  have  been  several  times  republished.  Those 
for  Advent  have  passed  through  six  editions,  and  those 
for  Lent  through  five. 

Besides  sermons,  he  wrote  a  "  Doctrinale  "  on  the 


70  JEAN    RAULIN. 

triple  death, — the  death  of  the  body,  the  death  in  sin, 
and  the  last  or  eternal  death.  He  is  also  the  author  of 
a  volume  of  letters  and  tracts  on  the  reform  of  the 
Cluniacs  ;  also  of  "  The  Itinerary  of  Paradise,"  "  A 
Discourse  on  the  Eeformation  of  the  Clergy,"  and  a 
"  Commentary  on  Aristotle's  Logic." 

He  was  a  dry  and  methodical  preacher,  vehement 
in  his  denunciations  of  the  corruptions  in  Church  and 
State,  and  ready  unscrupulously  to  attack  all  abuses 
in  ecclesiastical  discipline.  His  style  is  wholly  devoid 
of  eloquence,  and  is  precise  and  dull.  His  sermons  are 
full  of  divisions  and  subdivisions,  which  could  never 
have  fixed  themselves  in  the  minds  of  his  audience,  and 
serve  only  to  perplex  his  readers.  They  are  wanting 
in  almost  every  particular  which  would  make  a  sermon 
tolerable  now-a-days ;  and  after  a  lengthened  perusal, 
one  rises  from  the  volumes  wondering  how  there  could 
have  been  found  hearers  to  listen  to  such  discourses,  or 
readers  sufficiently  numerous  to  necessitate  a  rapid  suc- 
cession of  editions. 

As  a  representative  man  of  a  type  common  enough 
in  the  century  which  produced  him,  he  is  valuable.  For 
the  age  and  the  taste  of  his  period,  he  is  grave  ;  but  he 
sometimes  sinks  almost  as  deep  in  bufibonery  as  Menot, 
Meffreth,  or  Oliver  Maillard. 

As  an  example,  taken  at  hazard,  of  one  of  his  ser- 
mons, I  will  give  a  short  outKne  of  his  Epiphany  dis- 
course on  the  text — "  It  is  the  Lord  that  commandeth 
the  waters ;  it  is  the  glorious  God  that  maketh  the 
thunder ;  it  is  the  Lord  that  ruleth  the  sea."  (Ps.  xxix. 
3,4.) 


JEAN    RAULIN.  71 

Question.  Was  it  of  necessity  that  Christ  should  be 
baptized  ? 

Answer.  No ;  for  reasons  taken  from  St.  Bernard 
and  St.  Chrysostom. 

Christ  however  consented  to  be  baptized  for  three 
reasons, — 

1.  To  set  an  example  to  us. 

2.  To  conceal  Himself  from  Satan,  who  behold- 

ing Him  baptized  might  hesitate  to  regard 
Him  as  the  Messiah. 

3.  To  show  His  perfect  humility. 

In  the  baptism  of  our  Lord,  there  were  three  mani- 
festations :  the  Son  in  His  humanity,  the  Father  by  the 
voice,  the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  descent  of  the  dove. 

Then  follows  an  exhortation  to  humility,  and  a  warn- 
ing to  priests  and  people  to  practise  godliness  instead 
of  contenting  themselves  with  professing  it.  "  The 
hand  is  bigger  than  the  tongue,"  hints  E-aulin. 

The  Son  was  manifest  in  His  humanity.     A  question 
is  asked : — Did  John  Baptist  recognize  Christ  ? 
« Answer : — 

1.  He   recognized    Him  when    He   was   unborn, 

"  The  babe  leaped  in  my  womb  for  joy  ;*'  but 
he  did  not  distinctly  know  Him  now,  for— the 
reason  given  is  perfectly  monstrous — Aristotle 
says  that  the  human  frame  changes  every 
seven  years. 

2.  He  knew  that  Christ  was  among  the  throng  by 

a  sort  of  inspiration,  but  he  knew  not  which 
of  his  hearers  was  Christ. 
'  3.  Knowledge  is  double ;  it  arises  out  of 


72  JEAN   RAULIN. 

a.  Demonstration,  and  is  acquired  by  reason. 
yS.  Experience. 

Raulin  investigates  the  knowledge  of  John,  and 
resolves  the  question  by  stating  that  at  first  he  had 
no  certain  knowledge,  but  that  after  the  manifesta- 
tions accompanying  the  baptism,  he  obtained  it  by 
experience. 

A  second  question  is  asked : — Why  St.  John  Baptist 
did  not  venture  to  touch  Christ  ? 

Answer : — 

1.  Because  he  had  an  instinctive  fear  of  God  pre- 

sent in  the  flesh. 

2.  Because  he  was  conscious  of  his  own  sinfulness. 
The  Father  was  manifest  by  the  voice. 

In  holy  baptism  all  men  are  made  in  like  manner 
children  of  God.     We  are  made  children, 

1.  By  adoption — to  the  Father. 

2.  By  ingrafting — to  the  Church. 

3.  By  spiritual    generation — to    the    priest  who 

baptizes. 

From  this  arises  the  question  : — Did  St.  John  the 
Baptist  become  spiritual  father  of  our  Lord  by  baptizing 
Him? 

This  Eaulin  answers  in  the  negative  ;  for, 

1.  Christ  received  not  grace  through  the  ministra- 

tion of  John ;  for  He  was  full  of  grace  from 
the  moment  of  His  conception. 

2.  The  rit^  was  imperfect. 

3.  It  was  a  baptism  of  repentance,  which  could  not 

avail  spiritually  one  who  had  never  sinned. 
The  Spirit  was  manifest  under  the  form  of  a  dove. 


JEAN   RAULIN.  73 

The  dove  appeared  above  water,  and  here  follows  a 
dissertation  on  the  virtues  of  divers  waters. 

The  question  arises  : — Why  did  the  Spirit  elect  the 
form  of  a  dove  ? 

This  Raulin  answers  in  the  following  manner : 

1.  A  dove  is  without  gall,  and  is  harmless,  and 

therefore    represents  the   character  of  those 
born  of  the  Spirit. 

2.  A  dove  bore  the  olive-branch  to  the   ark,  in 

token  of  God  being  reconciled.     And  by  bap- 
tism we  are  reconciled  to  God. 

3.  A   dove  has   seven    qualities,    resembling    the 

Spirit's  sevenfold  gifts.     These  are, — 

(1)  It  moans  instead  of  warbling ;  this  represents 

the  spirit  of  holy  Fear. 

(2)  It  is  a  gentle  bird,  and  is  offered  in  sacrifice ; 

thus  representing  the  spirit  of  Piety, 

(3)  It  is  granivorous,  not  carnivorous  ;  thus  it  sha- 

dows forth  the  spirit  of  Knoicledge. 

(4)  It  dwells  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock  ;  thus  ex- 

hibiting the  character  of  the  spirit  of  Forti- 
tude. 

(5)  It  brings  up  the  young  of  others ;  thus  showing 

forth  the  spirit  of  Counsel. 

(6)  It  rends  not  what  it  eats,  but  swallows  whole  ; 

a  type  of  the  spirit  of  Understanding. 

(7)  It  dweUs  beside  waters  ;  thereby  exhibiting  the 

marks  of  the  spirit  of  Wisdom. 

All  these  points  are  drawn  out  at  length,  and  examined 
minutely ;  Scripture  is  tortured  to  illustrate  them,  and 


74  JEAN   RAULIN. 

illustrations  of  a  most  unsuitable  nature  are  brought  to 
bear  upon  tbem. 

It  will  be  seen  from  this  abstract,  how  thoroughly- 
unprofitable  the  sermons  of  Jean  Eaulin  prove  to  be ; 
they  bear  the  character  of  playing  and  trifling  with 
Scripture  and  with  the  most  sacred  subjects,  and  it  is 
sad  to  think  that  a  good  and  blameless  man,  such  as  he 
was,  should  have  degraded  the  ministry  of  God's  Word 
to  a  mere  tissue  of  Sunday  puzzles. 

Raulin  delighted  in  far-fetched  similes,  and  in 
tracing  out  types  beyond  all  limits  of  endurance.  That 
of  the  dove  was  sufficiently  extravagant,  but  what  can 
we  say  to  his  working  out  the  details  of  the  parable  of 
the  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes,  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  make  the  little  fishes  resemble  the  faithful  in  the 
Church,  because, 

(1)  Fish   have   their   eyes  at   their  sides,  and  so 

can  always    see    about    them ;    and    faithful 
Christians  are  ever  watchful. 

(2)  Fish  advance  in  the  water  by  wagging  their 

tails ;  and  good  Christians  have  to  advance  by 
remembering  the  end  of  all  things  ! ! 

(3)  Little  fish  are  eaten  by  big  fish,  and  so  of  the 

faithful  it  is  said,  "  Men  shall  devour  you." 
Occasionally  Jean  Raulin  tells  a  story  to  enliven  his 
discourse — stories  in  the  pulpit  were  in  vogue  then — 
and  these  anecdotes  and  fables  are  often  exceedingly 
good  and  pointed,  but  they  are  most  unsuited  to  a 
sermon. 

On   one   occasion,  when   preaching  on   the  corrup- 
tions in  the  Church,  and  declaiming  against  the  way 


JEAN   RAULIN.  75 

in  wHcli  tlie  clergy  condoned  moral  sins  of  the  blackest 
dye,  but  showed  the  utmost  severity  when  the  slightest 
injury  was  done  to  the  temporal  welfare  of  the  Church, 
he  illustrated  his  subject  by  a  story  to  this  effect : 

The  beasts  were  once  determined  to  keep  Lent 
strictly,  and  to  begin  by  making  their  confessions. 
The  Lion  was  appointed  confessor.  First  to  be  shriven 
came  the  Wolf,  who  with  expressions  of  remorse  acknow- 
ledged himself  a  grievous  sinner,  and  confessed  that 
he  had — yes,  he  had — once  eaten  a  lamb. 

"  Any  extenuating  circumstances  ?  "  asked  the  Lion. 

"Well,  yes,  there  were,"  quoth  the  Wolf;  "for  the 
mother  who  bore  me,  and  my  ancestors  from  time  im- 
memorial, have  been  notable  lamb-eaters,  and  *  what's 
born  in  the  bone  comes  out  in  the  flesh.' " 

"  Quite  so,"  said  the  confessor ;  "  your  penance  is 
this, — say  one  Pater  Noster." 

The  next  to  approach  the  tribunal  of  penance  was 
the  Fox,  with  drooping  tail,  a  lachrymose  eye,  and 
humble  gait. 

"  I  have  sinned,  father ! "  began  Eeynard,  beating 
his  breast ;  "  I  have  sinned  grievously  through  my  own 
fault ;  I — I — I — yes,  I  once  did  eat  a  hen." 

"  Any  extenuating  circumstances  ?  "  asked  the  Lion. 

"  Two,"  replied  the  penitent ;  "  I  must  say,  the  fault 
was  not  quite  my  own.  The  hen  was  grossly  fat,  and 
it  roosted  within  reach.  Now,  had  she  been  an  ascetic, 
and  had  she  gone  to  sleep  in  some  tree,  I  should  never 
have  touched  her,  I  assure  you,  father." 

"  There  is  some  truth  in  that,"  said  the  confessor ; 
"  say  as  penance  one  Pater  Noster." 

E  2 


76  JEAN   RAULIN. 

Next  came  the  Donkey,  hobbling  up  to  the  confes- 
sional, and  her  broken  ee-yaws !  could  be  heard  from 
quite  a  distance.  For  some  time  the  poor  brute  was  so 
convulsed  with  sobs  that  not  a  word  she  said  could  be 
distinguished.  At  last  she  gulped  forth  that  she  had 
sinned  in  three  things. 

**  And  what  are  they  ?  "  asked  the  Lion  gruffly. 

"  Oh,  father !  first  of  all,  as  I  went  along  the  roads, 
I  found  grass  and  thistles  in  the  hedges ;  they  were  so 
tempting  that — that — that — ee-yaw,  ee-yaw !  " 

"  Go  on,"  growled  the  Lion ;  "  you  ate  them ;  you 
committed  robbery, — Yile  monster !  I  shudder  at  the 
enormity  of  your  crime." 

*'  Secondly,"  continued  the  Donkey,  "  as  I  came  near 
a  monastery  one  summer's  day,  the  gates  were  wide 
open  to  air  the  cloisters ;  impelled  by  curiosity,  I — I — 
I — just  ventured  to  walk  in,  and  I  think  I  may  have 
somewhat  befouled  the  pavement." 

"  What ! "  exclaimed  the  confessor,  rising  in  his 
seat,  and  shaking  his  mane ;  "  enter  the  sanctuary  dedi- 
cated to  religion — you,  a  female,  knowing  that  it  is 
against  the  rules  of  the  order  that  aught  but  males 
should  intrude ;  and  then,  too,  that  little  circumstance 
about  the  pavement !     Go  on,"  said  the  Lion  grimly. 

"  Oh,  father  !  "  sighed  the  poor  penitent ;  "  the  holy 
monks  were  all  in  chapel,  and  singing  the  office.  They 
sang  so  beautifully  that  my  heart  was  lifted  up  within 
me,  and  at  the  close  of  a  collect  my  feelings  overcame 
me,  and  I  tried  to  say  Amen  ;  but  produced  only  an 
ee-yaw !  which  interrupted  the  service  and  hindered 
the  devotion  of  the  monks." 


JEAN    RAULIN.  77 

"  Horrible ! "  cried  the  Lion,  his  eyes  flashing  with 
pious  zeal,  his  hair  bristling  with  virtuous  indignation 
"  Monster  steeped  in  crime,  is  there  any  penance  too 
great  to  inflict  on  you?  I — "  The  reader  may  guess 
what  became  of  the  helpless  beast. 

This  story,  which  I  have  related  in  my  own  words, 
instead  of  giving  a  literal  translation,  must  have  been  a 
cutting  satire  on  the  practices  of  the  clergy  of  that 
period,  and  as  true  as  it  was  cutting ;  but  the  pulpit 
was  not  the  place  for  it. 

Another  of  Eaulin's  beast  fables  is  good.  It  occurs  in 
a  sermon  on  St.  Nicolas*  He  is  speaking  of  the  persua- 
sion which  parents  have  that  their  children  are  perfect 
spiritually  and  corporeally.  Once  an  old  toad  had  a 
son  who  was  fond  of  church-going— so  fond,  indeed,  that 
in  the  ardour  of  his  devotion  he  went  one  day  without 
his  socks.  This  troubled  the  old  toad,  as  his  son  was 
liable  to  colds  in  the  head  if  he  caught  chills  in  his  feet. 
Seeing  the  hare  dashing  by,  he  called  out,  "  Hey !  you, 
there  !  going  to  church,  I  suppose  ?  Do  me  a  good  turn 
and  take  my  son  his  socks,  or  he'll  get  his  death  of  cold." 

"  But  how  am  I  to  know  your  son  ?" 

*'  I^othing  more  easy,''  replied  the  toad ;  "  there's  not 
such  a  good-looking  fellow  in  the  crowd." 

"  Ah  !  I  know  him,"  said  the  hare ;  "  we  call  him  the 
swan.'' 

"  Swan  ! "  expressed  in  a  tone  of  contempt,  "  swan ! 
a  fellow  with  great  splay  feet  and  a  neck  you  might  tie 
in  a  knot ! " 

"  Well,  let  me  see !  I  know  him  ;  he  is  the  peacock." 

The  toad  screamed  with  dismay.  "  How  can  you  in- 
E  3 


78  JEAN   RATJLIN. 

suit  me  by  thinking  that  cracked-Yoiced  thing  my  son  ?" 
and  he  pufied  himself  up  to  the  shape  of  a  ball. 

"  Then  how  am  I  to  know  your  son  ?" 

"  Why,  look  you,"  pumped  forth  the  toad  with  state- 
liness,  "he  is  remarkably  handsome— ahem!  he  is  the 
image  of  me  :  has  goggle  eyes,  a  blotched  back,  and  a 
great  white  belly  !  " 

Now,  could  any  congregation  hear  this  story  from  the 
pulpit  without  laughing  ?  It  is  sufficiently  piquant,  and 
would  go  home  to  many  parents  present. 

There  is  a  capital  story  which  I  believe  originated 
with  Raulin,  but  which  has  since  been  versified  by 
Southey,  and  even  dramatized ;  but  it  may  be  questioned 
whether  any  modern  author  has  told  it  with  any  thing 
like  the  naivete  oi  the  original. 

It  occurs  in  the  third  sermon  on  widowhood.  I  give 
it  in  the  Latin  of  the  period. 

"  Dicatur  de  quadam  vidua,  quod  venit  ad  curatum 
suum  (a  son  cure),  quserens  ab  eo  consilium,  si  deberet 
iterum  maritari,  et  allegabat  quod  erat  sine  adjutorio,  et 
quod  habebat  servum  optimum  et  peritum  in  arte  mariti 
sui. 

"  Tunc  curatus  :  '  Bene,  accipite  eum.' 

"  E  contrario  ilia  dicebat :  '  Sed  periculum  est  accipere 
ilium,  ne  de  servo  meo  faciam  dominum.' 

"  Tunc  curatus  dixit :  *  Bene,  nolite  eum  accipere.' 

"Ait  ilia:  *  Quid  faciam  ?  non  possum  sustinere  pondus 
illud  quod  sustinebat  maritus  meus,  nisi  unum  habeam.' 

"  Tunc  curatus  dixit :  *  Bene,  habeatis  eum.' 

"  At  ilia  :  *  Sed  si  malus  esset,  et  vellet  mea  dlsperdere 
et  usurpare?' 


JEAN   RAULIN.  79 

"  Tunc  curatus  :  *  Non  accipiatis  ergo  eum/ 

"Etsic  semper  curatus  juxta  argumenta  sua  concedebat 
ei,  Yidens  autem  curatus  quod  vellet  ilium  habere  et 
haberet  devotionem  ad  eum,  dixit  ei  ut  bene  distincte 
intelligeret  quid  campanae  ecclesiaG  ei  dicerent,  et  secun- 
dum consilium  campanarum  ipsa  faceret. 

"  Campanis  autem  pulsantibus,  intellexit  juxta  volun- 
tatem  suam  quod  dicerent :  *  Prends  ton  valet,  prends 
ton  valet.'  Quo  accepto,  servus  egregie  verberabit  earn, 
et  fuit  ancilla  quae  prius  erat  domina. 

"Tunc  ad  curatum  suum  conquesta  est  de  consilio, 
maledicendo  boram  qua  crediderat  ei.  Cui  ille :  *  Non 
satis  audisti  quid  dicant  campanae.' 

"  Tunc  curatus  pulsavit  campanas,  et  tunc  intellexit 
quod  campanae  dicebant :  *  Ne  le  prends  pas,  ne  le  prends 
pas.'     Tunc  enim  vexatio  dederat  ei  intellectum." 

In  an  Easter  sermon,  Raulin  asks  why  the  news  of 
the  resurrection  was  announced  to  women.  And  he 
replies  that  they  have  such  tongues  that  they  would 
spread  the  news  quickest. 

He  then  says  that  it  has  been  asked  why  women  are 
greater  chatterboxes  than  men.  And  the  reason  he 
gives  is  certainly  original,  if  perhaps  not  conclusive. 

Man  is  made  of  clay,  woman  of  bone — the  rib  of 
Adam.  'Now  if  you  move  a  sack  of  clay,  it  makes  no 
noise ;  but,  only  touch  a  bag  of  bones,  and  rattle,  rattle, 
rattle,  is  what  you  hear. 

This  remark  is  also  made  by  Gratian  de  Drusac  in  his 
Contro verses  des  Sexes  masculin  et  feminin,  1538,  p.  25. 

A  story  told  by  Eaulin,  with  which  I  shall  conclude, 
is  not  without  beauty. 

E  4 


80  JEAN   RAULIN. 

A  hermit  supplicating  God  that  he  might  know  the 
way  of  safety,  beheld  the  Devil  transformed  into  an 
angel  of  light,  who  said,  "  Your  prayer  is  heard,  and  I 
am  sent  to  tell  you  what  you  must  do  to  be  saved  ;  you 
must  give  God  three  things  united — the  new  moon,  the 
disc  of  the  sun,  and  the  head  of  a  rose."  The  hermit 
was  nearly  driven  to  despair,  thinking  that  this  was  an 
impossibility,  but  a  real  angel  appeared  to  him,  and  told 
him  the  solution.  "  The  new  moon  is  a  crescent,  that  is 
to  say  a  C  ;  the  disc  of  the  sun  is  an  0  ;  and  the  head 
of  a  rose  is  R.  Unite  these  three  letters,  and  offer  to 
God  COR,  your  hearty  then  the  way  of  salvation  is  open 
before  you." 


MEFFRETH. 


According  to  a  mediaeval  legend,  an  evil  spirit  once 
entered  a  monastery,  passed  his  novitiate,  and  became  a 
full  brother.  In  preaching  one  Advent  to  the  assembled 
friars,  he  spoke  of  the  terrors  of  hell,  and  depicted  them 
most  graphically,  being,  of  course,  eminently  qualified 
for  so  doing.  His  discourse  produced  a  profound  sensa- 
tion among  his  audience,  their  blood  curdled  with 
horror,  and  some  of  the  weaker  brethren  fainted  away. 
When  the  true  character  of  the  friar  was  discovered, 
the  Superior  expressed  to  him  surprise  at  his  want  of 
judgment  in  preaching  a  powerful  sermon,  calculated  to 
terrify  the  hearers  from  ever  venturing  on  the  road 
which  leads  to  the  place  described  by  the  preacher 
with  such  fidelity  :  but  the  devil  replied  with  a  hideous 
sneer,  "  Think  you  that  my  discourse  would  prevent  a 
single  soul  from  seeking  eternal  damnation  ?  ISTot  so  ; 
the  most  finished  eloquence  and  the  profoundest  learn- 
ing are  worthless  beside  one  drop  of  unction, — there 
was  no  unction  in  my  sermon  J** 

E  5 


82  MEFFIIETH. 

Mefireth,  the  subject  of  this  notice,  was  a  preacher  of 
great  popularity  in  the  fifteenth  century ;  his  sermons 
display  great  power  of  a  certain  order.  He  was  un- 
doubtedly an  accomplished  theologian,  a  good  scholar, 
and  a  man  of  diversified  reading ;  he  could  speak  with 
force,  and  describe  with  considerable  graphic  power, — 
but  for  all  this,  in  his  two  hundred  and  twenty-five 
sermons  there  is  not  one  in  which  the  unction  necessary 
for  the  conversion  of  souls  is  to  be  discovered.  It  is 
quite  impossible  to  read  these  sermons  without  feeling 
that  the  preacher's  great  object  has  been  the  exhibition 
of  his  own  ingenuity  and  learning,  not  the  saving  of  the 
souls  of  his  hearers. 

Of  the  man  himself  but  little  is  known,  and  that 
little  we  gain  from  his  own  title-page.  From  it  we 
ascertain  that  he  was  a  German  priest  of  Meissen,  and 
that  he  flourished  about  1443. 

His  only  work  is  the  Hortulus  Eeginse,  seu  Sermones 
Dominicales  et  de  Sanctis,  per  totum  annum,  in  Partes 
^stivalem  et  Hyemalem  distributes.  Proderunt  No- 
rimbergse,  1487,  fol. ;  Basileas,  1488, 2  vols.  fol. ;  Colonise, 
1645,  4to. ;  the  same  sermons.  Pars  Hiemalis ;  sine  loco 
et  anno,  folio. 

Sermones  de  Praecipuis  Sanctorum  Festivitatibus ; 
Monachii,  1614,  4to. ;  Coloniae,  1625,  4to. 

Mefireth  having  stated  boldly,  in  his  Sermons  on  the 
Conception  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  that  she  was  born 
with  the  taint  of  original  sin,  his  editors  were  put 
to  some  trouble  in  order  to  get  a  licence  to  publish ; 
in  the  first  edition  there  is  an  explanatory  note  by 
the  publisher,   in  the  second,  a  long  preface  by  Fr. 


MEFFRETH.  83 

Joannes  de  Lapide,  a  Carthusian  and  Doctor  of  the 
University  of  Paris,  refuting  the  opinion  of  Mefi'reth 
on  this  head,  and  stigmatizing  it  as  heresy,  not, 
however,  on  Scriptural  and  Patristic  authority,  but 
on  the  ground  of  the  judgment  of  Sixtus  IV.,  the 
decision  of  the  University  of  Paris,  and  the  decree  of 
the  Council  of  Basle. 

The  edition  of  1625  contains  another  "  Praemonitio 
ad  lectorem,  in  tres  sequentes  sermones  de  gloriosae 
Yirginis  Maria3  conceptione,"  which,  after  giving  an 
account  of  the  indulgence  decreed  by  Sixtus  TV.  to 
all  those  who  should  keep  the  octave  of  the  feast  of 
the  Conception,  concludes  with  these  words :  "  Sixtus 
Popa  TV.  constituit,  ut  nee  affirmantes,  nee  negantes 
Beatam  Virginem  sine  originali  peccato  conceptam 
fuisse,  hsereseos,  vel  peccati  mortalis  damnarentur, 
idque  Concil.  Trident,  sess.  5  de  peccato  originali 
et  Pius  Y.  in  quadam  sua  constitutione  confirmarunt : 
ceterum  doctrina  dicentium,  B.  Yirginem  cum  peccato 
originali  fuisse  conceptam,  pietati  sedificationique  populi 
minus  videtur  profutura.  Quare  quae  per  tres  sequentes 
sermones  a  Meffreth  in  hanc  sententiam  dicuntur,  non 
sunt  pro  concione  rudibus  proponenda,  sed  Doctorum 
disputationi  relinquenda:  praesertim  cum  ex  iis 
quaedam  admodum  incerta  et  fals6  quam  vero  pro- 
priora  sunt.'' 

Notwithstanding  that  a  soupgon  of  heresy  might  be 
supposed  to  attach  to  Meffreth  by  vehement  adherents 
of  the  dogma  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  the  man 
is  quite  extravagant  enough  in  his  teaching  about  Our 
Lady  to  satisfy  on  all  other  points  the  most  zealous 

E  6 


84  MEFFRETH. 

Mariolater.  For  instance,  with  him,  Mary  is  the  garden 
of  all  delights  (De  Sanctis  S),  by  her  name  devils  are 
put  to  flight  (48),  no  one  can  be  saved  without  her 
assistance  (87  and  95),  and  she  was  conceived  without 
earthly  father  (17).  If  Mefireth  could  swallow  so  many 
camels,  he  need  not  have  strained  at  a  solitary  gnat. 
The  sermons  of  Mefireth  occupy  1412  pages  of  small, 
close  print,  in  double  columns,  in  the  edition  of  Anthony 
Hierat,  1625;  and  they  are  furnished  with  three  indices, 
one  to  each  of  the  parts. 

They  are  quite  incapable  of  being  reproduced  in  a 
modern  pulpit,  but  they  are  nevertheless  valuable,  and 
worth  the  few  shillings  which  they  cost,  for  Mefireth 
was  a  man  well  versed  in  the  mystical  signification  of 
Scripture,  and  he  has  carefully  gathered  together  a  vast 
amount  of  serviceable  material,  though  he  has  been  un- 
able to  build  it  together,  with  the  wood,  hay,  stubble, 
which  he  has  added,  into  a  homogeneous  mass. 

His  sermons  open  with  a  fact  (?)  from  natural  history, 
to  which  he  gives  an  allegorical  interpretation.  This 
serves  as  an  introduction.  The  body  of  the  discourse  is 
separated  into  two  or  three  parts,  and  each  part  contains 
several  heads  ;  each  head  is  again  broken  into  divisions, 
and  each  division  is  subdivided.  The  sermons  vary  in 
length ;  those  for  Saints'  days  are  short,  but  the  rest  are 
of  intolerable  length.  They  are  enlivened  with  anec- 
dotes, sometimes  good,  generally  pointless,  occasionally 
absurd. 

Those  of  Meffreth's  sermons  which  are  intended  as 
expositions  of  our  Lord's  parables  are  better  by  far  than 
the  rest,  and  wiU  be  found  useful  by  the  theological 


MEFFRETH.  85 

student.     As  an  example,  take  the  following  analysis  of 
his  exhaustive  exposition  of  the  parable  of  the  Sower. 

He  explains  it  "  anagogice,"  "  allegorice,"  and  "  mo- 
raliter.'*  I  shall  give  only  the  first  two  interpretations, 
as  the  moral  signification  has  been  given  in  the  Gospel, 
and  Mefireth  does  little  else  than  repeat  it. 

I.  Anagogice — 

1.  God  the  Father  sows  seeds  of  two  kinds  : 

A.  Angelic  nature,  sown  in  the  beginning, 

a.  On  the  way  ;  i.  e.  on  Christ,  its  true  resting- 
place,  from  which  some  of  the  angels  were 
snatched  away  by  pride. 

yS.  On  the  rock  ;  i.  e.  on  Christ.  On  this  rock 
Satan  fell  and  was  broken.  This  is  the  rock 
which  at  the  last  day  will  fall  on  him  and 
grind  him  to  powder. 

7.  Among  thorns  ;  i.  e.  envy  and  ambition. 

8.  On  good  ground ;  this  is  the  angelic 
nature,  which  rested  unfallen  on  the  good 
ground  of  God's  presence,  and  there  ripened 
into  the  fruits  of  love,  reverence,  and 
obedience. 

B.  Human  nature,   sown  on  the   sixth   day  of 
creation.     This  fell — 

a.  On  the  wayside  of  luxury :  for  the  woman 

saw  that  the  tree  was  good  for  food  and 

pleasant  to  the  eyes. 
y8.  On  the  rock  of  pride :  for  Eve  was  tempted 

by  the  promise,  "  Ye  shall  be  as  gods." 
•y.  Among  the   thorns   of  ambition:  for   the 

woman  saw  that  the  fruit  was  good  to  make 


t>  MEFFRETH. 

one  wise,  and  she  desired  "to  know  good 
and  evil.'* 
2.  God  the  Son  went  forth  from  the  bosom  of  the 
Father  to  sow  Himself — 

A.  In  the  womb  of  the  ever-blessed  Virgin,  that 
good  ground  where  He  would  spring  up  and 
bear  an  hundredfold.  In  her  womb  He  sowed — 
a.  His  Divinity. 

/3.  The  humanity  of  Adam's  flesh. 
7.  The  human   soul,   which  is  the  breath  of 
God. 

B.  When  He  left  the  womb  of  Mary  He  went 
forth  to  sow — 

a.  The  Gospel,  which  fell — 

1.  On  the  wayside  of  the  impenitent. 

2.  On  the  rock  of  Pharisaic  pride. 

3.  Among  the   thorns   of  worldliness   and 

avarice. 

4.  On  the  good  ground  of  the  elect. 

/S.  That  He  might  sow  His  Divine  grace. 
7.  That  He  might  sow  His  mercy,  pardoning 
iniquity :  and  this  fell — 

1.  On  the  wayside  of  luxury. 

2.  On  the  rock  of  despair. 

3.  Among  the  thorns  of  riches. 

C.  His  own  self  did  our  Lord  sow  in  His  double 
nature,  when  He  left  earth  for  Heaven,  there 
to  sow  the  roses  of  martyrdom,  the  violets  of 
confessors,  and  the  lilies  of  virgins. 

II.  Allegorice — 

A.  The  sower  is  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel.     The 


MEFFRETH.  87 

seed  is  the  word.      The  resemblances  are  six- 
fold. 
a.  The  seed  attracts  the  moisture  of  the  earth, 

without  which  it  is  sterile. 
p.  The  seed  occupies  the  place  of  weeds. 

7.  It  generates  seed  in  its  own  likeness. 

8.  It  contains  within  itself  the  principle  of  life. 
€.  It  is  in  a  state  of  continual  progression ;  first 

the  seed,  then  the  blade,  then  the  ear,  and 
afterward  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 
5".  It  multiplies  itself. 

B.  The   sower  is   a   preacher;  his  characteristics 
should  be — 

1.  Discretion  as  to  lohere  he  sows. 

2.  Discretion  as  to  when  he  sows. 

3.  Discretion  as  to  how  much  he  sows. 

4.  Discretion  as  to  what  quality  he  sows. 
He  must  also  go  forth — 

a.  From  evil  communications. 
/8.  From  covetous  desires,  lest — 

1.  His  example  injure. 

2.  His  eye  be  darkened. 

3.  He  forget  his  vocation. 
7.  To  contemplation. 

C.  The  soil  is  fourfold  in  its  quality. 

1.  It  is  trodden  down  by  the  continual  passing 

to  and  fro  of  worldly  and  carnal  lusts. 

2.  It  is  stony,  without  depth  of  conviction. 

3.  It  prodjices  thorn-Kke  pleasures,  riches,  ease, 

ambition,  and  luxury. 

4.  It  is  good  and  deep. 


88  MEFFRETH. 

Perhaps  one  of  the  most  striking  of  MefFreth^s  ser- 
mons, and  one  free  from  his  worst  defects,  is  that  on 
the  text,  "A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and 
bade  many,"  &c. ;  being  part  of  the  Gospel  for  the 
second  Sunday  after  Trinity.  It  is  divided  into  three 
parts,  the  first  two  of  which  I  give  in  abstract,  as  they 
are  suggestive  and  beautiful. 

By  way  of  introduction,  Meffreth  observes  that  Isi- 
dore in  his  Natural  History  asserts  that  the  tiger  is  a 
beast  swift  as  an  arrow,  marked  and  dappled  with 
diverse  colours,  and  when  it  approaches  fire  or  water, 
or  a  looking-glass,  it  becomes  so  sluggish  that  it  either 
falls  into  the  fire  and  is  burned,  or  tumbles  into  the 
water  and  is  drowned,  or  remains  in  a  brown  study  in 
front  of  the  mirror  tiU  the  hunters  capture  it. 

Now  this  has  its  moral  significance,  observes  the 
preacher,  for  all  hum-an  beings  are  tigers,  set  like 
arrows  to  fly  swiftly  to  their  true  end  and  aim,  eternal 
happiness,  which  they  would  reach,  were  it  not  for 
certain  fires  and  waters  and  mirrors  which  retard  them, 
and  allow  them  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  devils,  who 
are  the  hunters. 

Mefireth  having  proved  that  man's  true  end  and  aim 
is  eternal  beatitude,  shows  how  that  he  is  checked,  and 
falls  short  of  his  aim,  by  the  fires  of  evil  concupiscence, 
the  water  of  impure  affections,  and  the  mirrors  of  worldly 
felicity.  It  will  be  seen  that  there  is  some  confusion  in 
metaphor  here. 

Meffreth  having  settled  the  tigers,  approaches  the 
text. 

The    supper,   he    observes,   has  two   significations ; 


MEFFllETH.  89 

it  is  (A),  tlie  Blessed  Sacrament,  and  it  is  (B),  the 
beatitude  of  eternal  fruition,  the  one  being  the  earnest 
of  the  other. 

And  first,  with  regard  to  the  Blessed  Sacrament,  he 
shows  that  the  name  of  supper  applies  well  to  it  for 
three  reasons^-the  first  being  that  it  was  instituted  at 
the  Last  Supper ;  secondly,  that  coena  is  derived  from 
the  Greek  Kevovy  "  neu\'^  and  so  exhibits  it  as  a  sacra- 
ment of  the  New  Testament ;  and  thirdly,  because  Kevov 
signifies  shadoWy  the  eucharistic  symbols  being  shadows 
of  the  living  realities  they  contain. 

A  certain  man,  in  the  parable,  made  a  great  supper : 
a  great  supper  indeed  is  the  Holy  Eucharist;  great 
because  of  the  glorious  nature  of  the  food ;  great  be- 
cause of  the  abundance  of  meats  it  ofiers  ;  these  meats 
being  remission  of  sin,  mitigation  of  carnal  desires,  a 
revivification  of  good  works  by  the  destruction  of  sins, 
a  fructification  of  virtues,  an  increase  in  grace,  a  mys- 
tical ingrafting  into  Christ,  and  a  pledge  of  eternal 
life.  Each  of  these  seven  meats  is  treated  of  at  some 
length,  and  ramifies  into  collateral  subjects.  Great, 
too,  is  the  supper  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  because  of  its 
durability.  The  feast  of  Ahasuerus,  remarks  Mefireth, 
lasted  but  seven  days  (Esther  i.),  whereas  that  of  the 
Eucharist  had  lasted  1496  years,  that  being  the  date  of 
his  sermon.  The  preacher  then,  following  St.  Ambrose, 
shows  who  are  those  who  come  not  to  the  Holy  Table ; 
they  are  the  heathen,  the  Jews,  and  the  heretics.  The 
heathen,  like  him  who  had  bought  a  piece  of  land, 
have  set  their  afiections  on  this  earth,  and  sold  all  that 
they  might  secure  it.     The  Jews,  ever  ploughing  with 


90  MEFFRETH. 

the  five  yoke  of  the  Pentateuch,  never  sow  in  the  seed 
of  the  Word.  The  heretic,  wedded  to  a  sect  of  his  own 
choosing,  deserts  the  Catholic  Church,  which  is  the 
Bride  of  Christ.  None  of  these  men,  says  our  Lord, 
shall  taste  of  My  supper. 

But  secondly  (B),  the  supper  signifies  the  beatitude 
of  celestial  glory.  The  whole  of  this  division  is  worked 
out,  I  think  all  will  agree,  with  singular  felicity. 

A  supper,  to  be  really  great,  says  Mefireth,  must 
have  ten  properties  or  requisites  : — 

1st.  It  must  take  place  at  a  suitable  time,  neither 
too  early  nor  too  late.  That  of  Ahasuerus  was  made 
in  the  third  year  of  his  reign,  and  that  of  Christ  in 
the  third  age,  the  age  of  grace. 

2nd.  It  must  take  place  in  a  spacious,  and  suitable, 
and  secure  spot.  That  of  Ahasuerus  was  made  "  in 
the  court  of  the  garden  of  the  king's  palace:  where 
were  white,  green,  and  blue  hangings,  fastened  with 
cords  of  fine  linen  and  purple  to  silver  rings  and 
pillars  of  marble."  And  the  preacher  shows  how 
that  the  place  of  the  heavenly  banquet  excels  that 
of  Sushan  in  spaciousness,  suitability,  and  secu- 
rity. 

3rd.  There  must  be  great  liberality  and  hilarity  of 
the  host.  Of  Ahasuerus  it  is  said,  "The  heart  of 
the  king  was  merry  with  wine,  and  he  commanded — 
to  bring  Yashti  the  queen  before  the  king  with  the 
crown  royal,  to  show  the  people  and  the  princes  her 
beauty:  for  she  was  fair  to  look  on."  Christ  also  shows 
His  liberality  and  hilarity  by  making  His  feast  known 
to  all;  by  the  greatness  of  His  preparation;  by  His 


MEFFRETH.  91 

inviting  many  ;  by  His  distress  at  the  refusal  of  those 
first  invited,  and  His  sending  into  tlie  streets  and  lanes 
of  the  city;  by  His  compelling  men  to  come  in  from  the 
highways  and  hedges. 

The  fourth  requisite  of  a  great  supper  is  the  abun- 
dance and  the  variety  of  the  dishes.  King  Ahasuerus 
gave  drink  "  in  vessels  of  gold  (the  vessels  being 
diverse  one  from  another),  and  royal  wine  in  abun- 
dance, according  to  the  state  of  the  king."  In  Hke 
manner  has  Christ  prepared  abundance  of  good  things 
for  His  marriage  supper.  And  chief  among  these  are 
the  twelve  refections  of  the  just,  each  of  which  MeflPreth 
comments  upon  with  great  beauty.  I  can  but  name 
them. 

1.  Health  without  infirmity.  (Ps.  ciii.  3.  Isa. 
Ix.  18.) 

2.  Youth  without  age.  (Ps.  ciii.  5.)  This  is  fol- 
lowed by  a  dissertation  on  the  apparent  age  which  the 
resurrection  body  will  have. 

3.  Satiety  without  distaste.  (Isa.  xlix.  10.  Eccles. 
i.  8.)  Followed  by  a  proof  that  the  soul  can  be  satisfied 
with  nothing  short  of  God. 

4.  Beauty  without  deformity.  (Matt.  xiii.  43.  Wisd. 
iii.  7.)  Followed  by  a  dissertation  on  the  degrees  of 
glory  hereafter. 

5.  Impassibility  with  immortality.  (Isa.  xxv.  8 ; 
xlix.  10.) 

6.  Abundance  without  want;  to  this  the  preacher 
applies  very  beautifully  the  text.  Judges  xviii.  10. 

7.  Peace  without  break. 

8.  Safety  without  fear.     (Ps.  cxlvii.  14.) 


92  MEFFRETH. 

9.  Knowledge  without  ignorance.      (1  Cor.  xiii.  12.) 

10.  Glory  without  shame.     (Col.  iii.  4.) 

11.  Joy  without  sadness  :  joy  in  having  overcome 
our  foes,  joy  in  having  become  purged  from  every 
defect,  joy  in  having  escaped  the  woes  of  the 
lost. 

12.  Liberty  without  restraint,  arising  from  the 
spirituality  of  the  body.  To  will  being  then  to 
do :  the  spiritual  body  being  capable  of  travelling 
as  swiftly  as  mind,  of  executing  whatever  the  imagi- 
nation can  conceive. 

Each  Person  of  the  ever-blessed  Trinity,  observes 
Meffreth,  will  grant  us  three  gifts. 

God  the  Father  will  present  us  with  the  unutterable 
contemplation  of  His  unveiled  presence,  with  the  entire 
possession  of  all  good  things,  and  with  the  fulfilment  of 
every  desire. 

God  the  Son  will  afford  us  clean  and  renewed  flesh, 
sanctified  souls  radiant  with  beauty,  and  participation 
in  the  Divine  nature. 

God  the  Holy  Ghost  will  give  us  the  sweetness  of 
eternal  fruition,  the  wine  of  perennial  gladness,  and  the 
fruits  of  love,  joy,  peace,  &c.     (Gal.  v.  22,  23.) 

Meffreth  then  returning  to  the  requisites  of  a  feast, 
says  that  the  fifth  is  the  courtesy  of  the  ministers.  In 
that  made  by  King  Ahasuerus,  it  is  expressly  said,  "  The 
king  had  appointed  to  all  the  officers  of  his  house,  that 
they  should  do  according  to  every  man's  pleasure." 
How  fully  will  that  requisite  be  obtained  in  the 
heavenly  banquet !  exclaims  Meffreth,  when  even  Christ 
'*  shall  gird  Himself  and  make ''  His  servants  "  sit  down 


MEFFRETH.  93 

to  meat,  and  will  come  forth,  and  serve  them."  (Luke 
xii.  37.) 

The  sixth  requisite  of  a  feast  is  sweet  music,  and  here 
Meflfireth  speaks  of  the  music  of  the  heavenly  city  as 
heard  by  St.  John  in  Patmos. 

The  seventh  requisite  is  abundance  of  light,  and  on 
this  he  quotes  the  Apocalypse  xxi.  23,  "  And  the  city 
had  no  need  of  the  sun,  neither  of  the  moon,  to  shine  in 
it :  for  the  glory  of  God  did  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof." 

The  eighth  requisite  is  the  delicacy  of  the  victuals, 
and  this  he  applies  to  the  varied  delights  the  redeemed 
will  have  in  the  society  of  the  saints  and  of  the  angels 
in  their  differing  orders  and  ranks. 

The  ninth  requisite  is  duration.  The  banquet  of 
Ahasuerus  lasted  but  seven  days,  whilst  that  of  Christ 
will  be  for  ever  and  ever. 

And  lastly,  a  feast  must  be  peaceful  and  calm.  When 
Ahasuerus  made  his  banquet,  he  prepared ''  beds  of  gold 
and  silver,  upon  a  pavement  of  red,  and  blue,  and  white, 
and  black  marble."  How  much  sweeter  will  be  the 
rest  of  the  redeemed  in  the  green  pastures  of  Paradise, 
beside  the  ever-flowing  waters  of  comfort ! 

In  another  sermon  on  the  same  Gospel,  Meffreth 
strangely  inverts  the  subject  just  given,  and  makes 
the  certain  man  to  be  the  devil,  and  he  describes  with 
equal  power  the  great  feast  of  emptiness  which  he  pre- 
pares. The  properties  of  a  feast  are  of  course  in  this 
case  wanting  in  every  particular.  For  abundance  of 
light  there  is  outer  darkness;  for  sweetness  of  music 
there  are  never-ending  cries  of  despair ;  for  calm  and 


94  MEFFRETH. 

tranquillity  there  is  strife  and  discord,  and  instead  of 
those  who  are  at  that  fearful  feast  having  delicacy  or 
variety  of  food,  they  are  themselves  the  food  on  which 
the  never-dying  worm  so  sweetly  feeds. 

The  commencement  of  the  second  sermon  for  the 
same  Sunday  after  Trinity  is  so  thoroughly  character- 
istic of  Meffreth's  worst  style,  that  I  must  give  it  in  his 
own  Latin. 

"  Experientia,  quae  est  rerum  magistra," — note  this 
pompous  and  stately  beginning,  and  see  what  it  intro- 
duces— "  ssepe  ostendit,  quod  mus,  quandoque  intrat 
promptuarium  macilentus,  ibique  invenit  lardum,  carnes 
vel  caseum  et  hujusmodi  (and  all  that  sort  of  thing) 
comedit,  et  impinguatur,  cumque  dominus  venit  quae- 
rens  murem,  vult  fugere  per  foramen  arctum,  per  quod 
intravit,  sed  prae  pinguetudine  non  potest  exire,  sicque 
capitur  et  necatur. 

"  Moraliter.  Per  mures  hie  ad  praesens  intelliguntur 
homines,  quia,  sicut  mus  ab  humo  dicitur,  eo  quod  ex 
humore  terras  nascatur.  Nam  humus  terra  dicitur.  Sic 
enim  homo  ab  humo  est  dictus,  eo  quod  de  limo  terrce  est 
formatus.  Gen.  i."  After  a  few  words  about  minding 
earthly  things,  and  a  quotation  from  Boetius,  he  con- 
tinues,— "  Si  enim  inter  mures  videres  unum  aliquem, 
jus  sibi  atque  potestatem  prae  caeteris  vendicantem,  id 
est,  usurpantem  super  alios  mures.  0  quanto  movereris 
cachinno,  id  est,  risu,  quia  derisibile  esset,  et  talis  po- 
testas  terrena  scilicet  derisibQis,  quae  non  extendit  se  ad 
corpus.  Quid  vero  si  tu  corpus  spectes  hominis,  quid 
est  imbecillius,  id  est,  debilius  homine?  quasi  diceret, 
nihil ;  quos  scilicet  homines  muscarum  saepeque  morsus 


MErrRETH.  95 

in  secreta,  id  est ;'' — another  id  est,  Meffreth.  is  intent 
upon  being  intelligible, — "  in  interiora  hominis  quaeque 
reptantium,  id  est,  serpentium,  necat  introitus."  The 
construction  of  this  sentence  is  very  confused.  "  In  quo 
declarat,  quod  homo  est  mure  debilior,  imo  parvissimo 
mure,  quia  musculus  est  diminutivum  a  mure.  Iste 
quidem  homo  ad  instar  muris  macilentus  et  nudus  in- 
trat  in  promptuarium  hujus  mundi.  Juxta  illud  Job  i. 
Nudus  ingressus  sum  in  hunc  mundum  et  nudus  revertar 
illuc.  Cui  alludet  Apost.,  1  Tim.  vi.,  Nihil  intuUmus  in 
hunc  mundum,  haud,  id  est,  non  dubium,  quia  nee  auferre 
quid  possumus.'' 

Having  brought  us  into  the  larder  of  this  world, 
Meffreth  ought  to  have  followed  out  the  moral  applica- 
tion, but  he  becomes  apparently  lost  over  the  "  lardum, 
carnes  vel  caseum  et  hujusmodi,"  and  never  leaves  them 
throughout  his  sermon. 

An  Advent  discourse  opens  with  the  following  state- 
ment: "  JS^aturalists  say  that  the  Balustia,  a  certain 
flower  of  the  pomegranate,  is  cold  and  dry,  and  has 
astringent  and  stiptic  properties,  wherefore  it  is  used 
against  dysentery  and  bloody  flux  of  the  stomach.  It 
also  restrains  choleric  vomiting,  if  it  be  cooked  in  vine- 
gar and  laid  upon  the  collar-bone — so  say  medical 
men." 

"  Expert  naturalists  say  that  every  irrational  animal, 
when  it  feels  itself  becoming  weak  and  helpless,  at  once 
seeks  a  remedy  for  its  languor,  which  may  restore  it  to 

health In  like  manner,  says  Isidorus  (lib.  xii.), 

stags,   when   they  feel  themselves  burdened  with  in- 
firmity, snuff  the  serpents  from  their  holes  with  the 


96  MEFFRETH. 

breath  of  their  nostrils,  and  having  overcome  the 
noxiousness  of  the  poison,  reinvigorate  themselves  with 
their  food.  Aristotle  (lib.  vi.)  says  of  animals,  that 
bears  are  wont  to  eat  crabs  and  ants  for  medicinal 
purposes.  Avicenna  relates  in  his  book  viii.  of  ani- 
mals, that  it  was  related  to  him  by  a  faithful  old 
man,  that  he  had  seen  two  little  birds  squabbling,  and 
that  one  was  overcome ;  it  therefore  retired  and  ate  of 
a  certain  herb,  then  it  returned  to  the  onslaught; 
which,  when  the  old  man  observed  frequently,  he  took 
away  the  herb.  Now  when  the  birdie  came  back  and 
found  it  not,  it  set  up  a  great  cry  and  died.  And 
Avicenna  says,  *  I  inquired  the  name  of  the  plant,  and 
conjectured  it  to  be  of  the  species  which  is  called 
Lactua  agrestis.'  "  (Dom.  Sexagesima  i.) 

"  The  owl  at  night  eats  the  eggs  of  the  jackdaw, 
because  it  is  strongest  by  night.  But,  on  the  other 
hand,  the  jackdaw  walks  off  with  the  owFs  eggs  by 
day,  and  eats  them,  because  the  owl  is  feeble  by  day. 
In  like  manner  the  devil  devours  all  man's  good  works 
in  the  night  of  sin,  ....  and  just  as  the  devil  like  an 
owl  destroys  man's  good  works  by  mortal  sins,  so  on 
the  other  hand  ought  man  in  the  day  of  safety  and 
grace  to  destroy  the  devil's  eggs  by  works  of  repent- 
ance."    (Feria,  4to.  post,  Eeminiscere  i.) 

"According  to  naturalists,  salt  has  the  property  of 
preserving  from  putrefaction.  For  we  see  that  if  meat 
is  placed  at  full  moon  in  the  beams  of  the  moon,  it 
breeds  worms,  because  the  moon  augments  the  moisture 
of  the  meat,  and  by  this  means  predisposes  it  for  cor- 
ruption.    If,  however,  meat  is  salted,  the  moon  cannot 


MEFFRETH.  97 

do  it  SO  mucli  harm ;  for  salt  extracts  from  the  flesb.  its 
juices,  wherefore  men  desirous  of  preserving  meat  from 
putrefaction  put  it  in  the  pickle-tub.  Morally — by 
salt  understand  the  bitterness  of  penitence,  or  satisfac- 
tion ;  and  by  the  meat  understand  carnal  delights,"  &c. 
(Domin.  2da  p.  Pascha,  9.) 

I  have  mentioned  the  fact  of  Meffreth  using  stories 
in  his  sermons.  They  occur  very  frequently  ;  they  are 
not  all  either  appropriate  or  edifying.  The  folio  vising, 
however,  is  pretty :  it  is  to  be  found  in  the  first  sermon 
on  the  parable  of  the  Eich  Man  and  Lazarus.  MeflPreth 
is  speaking  of  wealth  and  its  cares  as  contrasted  with 
the  insouciance  of  poverty.  He  then  relates  the  story 
of  a  certain  Robin,  or  Eubinus,  a  poor  man  who  lived 
under  the  steps  leading  into  the  palace  of  a  wealthy 
nobleman.  Poor  Eobin  had  a  hard  time  of  it :  he  toiled 
all  day,  and  at  nightfall  he  would  go  about  the  streets 
with  an  old  fiddle,  playing  for  a  few  coppers  :  some- 
times, however,  he  would  get  as  much  as  five  pence, 
and  then  he  would  fiddle  and  sing  at  night  on  his  straw, 
so  cheerily  that  the  rich  man  in  his  palace  heard  him 
and  sighed,  because  his  own  heart  was  never  glad.  One 
day  the  lady  of  the  house  said  to  her  lord,  "  How  is  it 
that  you  with  all  your  wealth  are  never  happy,  whilst 
poor  Robin  under  our  stairs  is  as  cheerful  as  a  cricket  ?  " 
"  I  will  destroy  his  mirth,"  replied  the  rich  man ;  and 
he  secretly  conveyed  a  bag  of  money  into  Robin's  den. 

No  fiddle,  no  song,  were  heard  for  many  days,  for  the 
poor  fellow  was  gloating  over  his  strangely-acquired 
wealth,  and  fearing  hourly  lest  it  should  be  taken  from 
him.     "  How  is  it,"  asked  the  lady  of  the  house,  **  how 

F 


98  MEFFRETH. 

is  it  that  Eobin  neither  fiddles,  whistles,  nor  sings  now?" 
"  Mark ! "  replied  her  lord  ;  "  I  will  restore  his  song  to 
him."  So  he  reclaimed  his  money.  Now  when  Robin 
was  free  of  this  source  of  care,  he  caught  up  his  fiddle 
and  sang  to  it  right  lustily  half  the  night  through. 
Another  charming  story  told  by  Meffreth  is  this : — 
There  was  once  an  aged  hermit  in  the  Egyptian  desert, 
who  thought  it  would  be  well  with  him  if  he  had  an  olive- 
tree  near  his  cave.  So  he  planted  a  little  tree,  and  think- 
ing it  might  want  water,  he  prayed  to  God  for  rain,  so  rain 
came  and  watered  his  olive-tree.  Then  he  thought  that 
some  warm  sun  to  swell  its  buds  would  be  advisable, 
so  he  prayed,  and  the  sun  shone  out.  Now  the  nurs- 
ling looked  feeble,  and  the  old  man  deemed  it  would  be 
well  for  the  tree  if  frost  were  to  come  and  brace  it.  He 
prayed  for  the  frost,  and  hoar  frost  settled  that  night  on 
bar  and  beam.  Next,  he  believed  a  hot  southerly  wind 
would  suit  his  tree,  and  after  prayer  the  south  wind 
blew  upon  his  olive-tree  and — it  died.  Some  little 
while  after,  the  hermit  visited  a  brother  hermit,  and  lo ! 
by  his  cell- door  stood  a  flourishing  olive-tree.  "  How 
came  that  goodly  plant  there,  brother?"  asked  the  un- 
successful hermit. 

"  I  planted  it,  and  God  blessed  it,  and  it  grew." 
"  Ah  !  brother,  I  too  planted  an  olive,  and  when  I 
thought  it  wanted  water  I  asked  God  to  give  it  rain,  and 
the  rain  came ;  and  when  I  thought  it  wanted  sun,  I  asked, 
and  the  sun  shone  ;  and  when  I  deemed  that  it  needed 
strengthening,  I  prayed,  and  frost  came — God  gave  me 
all  I  demanded  for  my  tree  as  I  saw  fit,  yet  is  it  dead." 
'•  And  I,  brother,"  replied  the  other  hermit,  "  I  left 


MEFFRETH.  99 

my  tree  in  God's  hands,  for  He  knew  what  it  wanted 
better  than  I." 

Yery  different  is  Meffreth's  story  of  the  fat  priest  who 
was  carving  a  capon  in  Lent,  when  his  servant  burst 
out  laughing  behind  his  back.  "  Sirrah !  what  are  you 
laughing  at?"  asked  the  globular  parson. 

"  Oh,  your  reverence !  excuse  me,  but  I  could  not 
help  thinking  what  a  lot  of  drippings  there  would  be 
from  you,  when  hereafter  the  devils  have  the  roasting 
of  you." 


F  2 


MATTHIAS   FABER. 


Matthias  Faber  was  born  at  Neumarkt,  in  Bavaria,  in 
the  year  1586.  He  was  appointed  to  the  cure  of  the 
parish  of  St.  Maurice  in  Ingolstadt,  and  to  the  profes- 
sorship of  the  University  in  that  town.  Whilst  there, 
he  published  three  volumes  of  sermons  for  every  Sunday 
in  the  year,  and  these  have  gone  through  six  editions. 

He  was  much  regarded  as  a  preacher,  and  deservedly 
so,  for  he  was  a  man  f tdl  of  learning  and  genius,  though 
not  remarkable  for  his  eloquence. 

In  the  year  1637,  at  the  age  of  fifty-one,  he  was  re- 
ceived into  the  Society  of  Jesus  at  Vienna,  and  continued 
after  his  reception  to  preach  with  considerable  success. 
He  then  published  another  volume  of  sermons  for  all  the 
Sundays  and  the  principal  festivals  of  the  year.  This 
book,  divided  into  two  parts,  is  called  the  Auctuarium, 
and  was  thenceforward  published  along  with  the  former 
volumes.  The  Concionum  opus  tripartitum,  together 
with  the  Auctuarium,  contain  one  thousand  and  ninety- 
six  sermons.  Besides  these,  he  preached  funeral  and 
marriage  orations,  published  after  his  death,  which  took 
place  on  the  26th  of  April,  1653,  at  Tyrnau. 


MATTHIAS   FABER.  ,    ,    ,     ,       101 

It  is  not  to  be  expected  hat  in  sucli  a  vast  collection 
all  should  be  of  equal  merit ;  and  yet  few  of  Faber's 
sermons  would  be  put  down  as  bad.  The  vast  majority 
of  them  are  remarkably  good,  and  full  of  matter.  Not 
one,  perhaps,  could  be  found  which  does  not  contain 
more  suggestive  remarks  than  we  are  accustomed  to 
hear  from  the  modern  pulpit  in  a  month.  Faber  is 
brief,  but  what  he  says  lie  has  thought  well  over,  and  it 
is  always  worth  the  hearing.  He  is  almost  too  brief 
sometimes,  for  he  throws  out  a  brilliant  remark,  and 
goes  on  to  another  without  making  the  most — without, 
indeed,  making  any  thing  of  the  former. 

How  great  is  the  contrast  between  him  and  a  modern 
preacher,  who  every  Sunday  labours  through  a  polished 
and  carefully  worded  essay,  containing  in  many  words 
the  feeblest  whiff  of  an  idea !  And  Faber  could  vary 
his  matter  to  suit  his  hearers.  Preaching  before  his 
University,  he  discussed  learned  questions  in  Divinity 
with  great  lucidity ;  but  preaching  to  the  good  citizens 
of  Ingolstadt,  he  confined  himself  to  practical  instruc- 
tions. 

His  style  is  dignified  and  earnest,  but  it  is  not 
eloquent,  though  many  of  the  passages  in  his  sermons 
are  very  graceful.  And  he  is  perfectly  free  from  the 
bombast  which  supplied  the  place  of  eloquence  among 
certain  preachers  of  his  day. 

Matthias  Faber  does  not  shrink  from  telling  a  story, 
and  a  story  with  a  good  practical  moral  to  it,  but  he 
does  not  attempt  simile  to  any  extent. 

There  is  an  apparent  crudity  in  his  discourses.  Pro- 
bably this  is  owing  to  their  being  printed  from  the 

F  3 


10^  ,  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

abstract  which  he  drew  up  before  preaching ;  so  that 
when  delivered,  the  apparent  abruptness  and  ruggedness 
of  this  outline  may  have  been  smoothed  away. 

Few  ancient  preachers  would  be  more  serviceable  to  a 
clergyman  of  the  present  day,  or  more  acceptable  to  an 
English  congregation.  Unfortunately,  the  volumes  are 
somewhat  scarce,  and  consequently  expensive. 

The  following  is  a  list  of  Faber's  works  and  their 
several  editions : 

1.  Controversise  contra  Altorfienses  Professores. 

2.  Concionum  opus  tripartitum ;  Ingolstadii,  3  vols. 
foL,  1631 ;  Cracovise,  1647. 

3.  Auctuarium  Operis  Concionum  Pars ;  GraGcii, 
foL,  1646 ;  Antverpise,  2  vols.  foL,  1647. 

Auctuarium  pro  Dominicis  et  Sanctis ;  Cracoviae, 
foL,  1647. 

Opus  Concionum,  Pars  Hiemalis ;  Antverpiae,  3 
vols,  fol.,  1650. 

Auctuarium  ;  Antverpiae,  fol.,  1653. 

Opus  Concionum cum  Auctuario;  Colonise  Agrip- 

pinae,  4to.,  5  partes,  1669. 

Opus  Concionum,  Pars  JEstivalis  ;  Antverpiae,  fol., 
1663. 

Opus  Concionum ;  Coloniae,  3  vols.,  4to.,  1693. 

Concionum  Sylva  nova,  seu  Auctuarium.  Cui 
accedunt  Conciones  Funebres,  Nuptiales,  et  Strenales 
posthumae.     Coloniae,  4to.,  tomus  primus,  1695. 

4.  R.  P.  Matthiae  Fabri  Conciones  Funebres ;  Brugis, 
12mo.,  1723. 

5.  Horet  den  Sohn  Gottes  ;  Olivae,  24mo.,  1678. 

I  shall  give  the  reader  the  outline  of  some  of  Matthias 


MATTHIAS    FABER.  103 

Faber's  sermons,  that  he  may  judge  for  himself  whether 
he  deserves  the  praise  I  have  accorded  to  him. 

Fourth  Sunday  in  Lent. 

St.  John  vi.  13.     "They  gathered  them  together,  and 
filled   twelve  baskets  with  the  fragments   of  the  five 

barley  loaves." 

'  • 

Introduction. 

There  were  twelve  baskets  full  of  food  gathered 
from  this  feast  which  Jesus  made  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  twelve  are  the  wholesome  lessons 
which  I  gather  from  it,  and  with  which  I  feed 
you  to-day. 

1.  Learn  fervour  and  zeal  for  hearing  the  Gospel. 
"  The  people,"  we  are  told,  "  ran  afoot  out  of 
all  cities,  and  outwent  them,  and  came  toge- 
ther unto  Him."  Behold  their  earnestness, 
and  contrast  it  with  your  indifference.  They 
came  on  foot,  they  came  long  distances,  they 
came  in  great  numbers,  they  outwent  Christ 
and  His  Apostles,  they  came  voluntarily  and 
without  having  been  summoned,  they  came 
oblivious  of  their  bodily  wants,  bringing  with 
them  their  wives  and  children.  Faber  draws 
a  contrast  between  these  people  and  his  hearers, 
undoubtedly  just,  but  certainly  not  flattering  : 
and  he  applies  to  the  latter  the  words  of  God 
to  Ezekiel,  "  Ye  pollute  Me  among  My  people 
for  handfuls  of  barley,  and  for  pieces  of 
bread." 

F  4 


104  MATTHIAS  FABER, 

2.  Learn  the  various  effects  produced  by  God's 

Word  on  different  hearers. 

Faber  is  singularly  infelicitous  in  filling  this 
basket.  He  observes  that  our  Lord  at  one  time 
drew  near  to  the  sea,  but  did  not  enter  it ;  at 
another  put  off  a  little  from  land,  but  soon 
returned  to  it,  and  now  in  to-day's  Gospel 
crosses  the  sea,  and  having  crossed  it,  performs 
the  miracle :  so  does  He  shadow  forth  three 
kinds  of  Christians  in  His  mystical  Body,  the 
Church :  those  who  only  approach  the  bitter 
sea  of  repentance,  those  who  just  enter  it  and 
again  return  to  land,  and  those  who  traverse 
it  and  are  found  meet  to  sit  down  in  green 
pastures  at  His  heavenly  banquet. 

3.  Learn  the  custody  of  the  eyes. 

Christ  *'  lifted  up  His  eyes  "  and  beheld  the 
multitude.  He  had  them  before  on  earth,  not 
straying  hither  and  thither  ;  and  so  He 
teaches  us  to  restrain  our  wandering  gaze. 
His  eyes  meekly  rested  on  earth  ;  Eve's,  stray- 
ing among  the  boughs,  saw  the  fruit  of  the 
tree  of  the  knowledge  of  good  and  evil,  and 
those  wandering  eyes  brought  death  into  this 
world.  So  did  the  restless  eyes  of  Potiphar's 
wife  light  on  Joseph,  so  did  the  unguarded  eyes 
of  David  fall  on  Bathsheba,  and  the  curious 
eyes  of  the  two  elders  on  Susanna.  But  we  are 
not  required  to  keep  our  eyes  always  fixed  on 
earth,  or  closed ;  but  to  restrain  them  from 
idle  curiosity,  to  avert  them  from  dangerous 


MATTHIAS   FABER.  105 

objects,  and  to  guard  them  carefully  when  we 
pray.  There  are,  on  the  other  hand,  times 
when  we  should  raise  them,  after  the  example 
of  Christ.  For  the  considering  and  relieving 
of  the  poor  (John  vi.  5),  in  giving  thanks 
(Mark  vi.  41),  in  praying  (John  xvii.  1), 
in  giving  instruction  (Luke  vi.  20),  in 
seeking  the  glory  of  God  in  all  our  actions 
(John  xi.  41). 

4.  Learn  to  ask  God's  blessing  on  your  food. 

As  Christ  gave  thanks,  and  looking  up  to 
Heaven  blessed  the  loaves  and  fishes. 

We  have  the  same  lesson  in  Deut.  viii.  10, 
"  When  thou  hast  eaten  and  art  full,  then 
thou  shalt  bless  the  Lord  thy  God."  And 
we  have  the  example  of  the  Israelites  who 
would  not  eat  of  the  victims  till  Samuel  had 
blessed  them. 

5.  Learn  care  for  the  poor. 

Christ  gave  the  loaves  and  fishes  to  His  dis- 
ciples to  distribute  among  the  multitude,  and 
so  He  gives  the  rich  their  abundance,  not  for 
them  to  consume  it  themselves,  but  that  they 
may  "  distribute  and  give  to  the  poor." 

6.  Learn  to  see  God's  providence  in  the  support  of 

all  men,  and  especially  of  His  own  servants. 

Thus  did  God  provide  manna  for  the  Israel- 
ites in  the  wilderness  (Exod.  xvi.  12),  bread  and 
meat  for  Elijah  during  the  famine  (1  Kings 
xvii.  4),  food  for  Daniel  in  the  lions'  den 
(Bel  and  Dragon,  33). 
F  5 


106  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

7.  Learn  to  seek  the  food  of  the  soul  before  seek- 

ing that  of  the  body. 

Thus  Christ  before  feeding  the  multitude 
"spake  unto  them  of  the  kingdom  of  God" 
(Luke),  "began  to  teach  them  many  things  '' 
(Mark). 

8.  Learn  that  fasting  precedes  festival,  Lent  goes 

before  Easter. 

So  now  Christ  retired  to  the  wilderness,  as 
"  the  Jews'  passover  was  nigh  at  hand ;  and 
many  went  out  of  the  country  up|  to  Jerusalem 
before  the  passover,  to  purify  themselves" 
(John  xi.  55.) 

9.  Learn  moderation  and  frugality  in  diet. 

Christ  performed  the  miracle  of  feeding  five 
thousand,  not  with  luxuries,  but  with  plain  and 
wholesome  food,  to  teach  us  not  to  care  about 
luxurious  living,  but  to  be  content  with  simple 
diet. 

10.  Learn  that  there  should  be  order  in  the  Church. 

For  the  people  sat  not  down  till  commanded, 
and  then,  not  in  confusion,  but  in  ranks. 

11.  Learn  to  avoid  waste,  and  what  is  superfluous 

learn  to  give  to  the  poor. 

This  may  be  gathered  from  the  fragments 
being  collected  by  the  Apostles  at  Christ's 
express  command. 

12.  Learn  to  despise  worldly  honours. 

For  when  the  multitude  would  have  taken 
Jesus  by  force,  and  made  Him  a  king — as  we 
read  in  to-day's  Gospel — He  fled  from  them 
into  a  high  mountain  apart 


MATTHIAS    FABER.  107 

Conclusion. 

Let  all  who  have  been  fed  from  these  fragments  of 
instruction  be  satisfied,  and,  thanking  God, 
acknowledge  Christ  for  their  true  king. 

First  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany. 

St.  Luke  ii.  51.     "  His  mother  kept  all  these  sayings 
in  her  heart." 

Introduction. 

In  God's  Word  we  find  rules  of  life  for  aU  con- 
ditions of  men,  for  all  stages  of  life,  for  all 
positions  in  society.  The  Gospel  for  this  day 
gives  instruction  to  several  grades  of  men. 

1.  Parents  are  taught : — 

a.  To  train  their  children  in  the  fear  and  ad- 
monition of  the  Lord.  To  bring  them  at  an 
early  age  to  the  house  of  God,  to  teach  them 
to  love  its  courts,  to  take  pleasure  in  its  ser- 
vices, and  to  delight  in  the  instructions  given 
there. 

/3.  To  seek  their  children  when  they  wander 
from  the  paths  of  righteousness,  to  seek  them 
sorrowing,  and  to  find  no  rest  till  they  see 
them  restored. 

2.  Children  are  taught — 

a.  To  follow  God  rather  than  man ;  to  obey  Him 
in  preference  to  their  earthly  parents,  remem- 
bering that  "  He  who  loveth  father  or  mother 
more  than  Me,  is  not  worthy  of  Me." 

yS.  But  in  every  thing  else,  except  where  the  will 
r  6 


108  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

of  parents  clashes  witli  the  will  of  God,  cheer- 
fully to  submit  to  them. 

3.  Married  persons  are  taught  to  feel  for  each  other, 

and  to  sympathize  with  each  other.  Thus 
Joseph  entered  into  the  grief  of  Mary  at  the 
loss  of  her  Son,  and  returned  with  her  to  Jeru- 
salem in  quest  of  Him.  And  Mary  showed 
deference  to  her  husband,  saying,  "  Thy  father 
and  I  have  sought  Thee  sorrowing,"  placing 
Joseph  in  honour  before  herself. 

4.  Kinsfolk  and  acquaintance  are  taught  that  they 

have  a  responsibility  in  the  children  of  their 
relatives.  Mary  and  Joseph  sought  Jesus 
among  them.  So  God  required  Abel  at  the 
hand  of  Cain.  So  the  Apostle  writes  to 
Timothy,  "If  any  man  provide  not  for  his 
own  (i.e.  look  not  after  his  own),  and  specially 
for  those  of  his  own  house,  he  hath  denied  the 
faith,  and  is  worse  than  an  infidel. '* 

5.  Priests  are  taught  to  abide  in  the  temple,  and  to 

be  ready  to  hear  the  doubts  and  perplexities  of 
others,  and  to  answer  them  as  God  gives  them 
understanding. 

6.  Finally,  all  may  learn — 

a.  From  the  fact  of  Joseph  and  Mary  coming  to 
Jerusalem,  notwithstanding  that  Archelaus  did 
still  reign  there,  and  leaving  their  substance 
and  business  for  the  service  of  God — that  we 
should  not  allow  vain  excuses  to  hinder  us 
from  attending  public  worship. 

y9.  From  the  fact  of  Christ  the  Eternal  "Wisdom 


MATTHIAS   FABER.  109 

deigning  to  listen  humbly  to  these  blind 
Pharisees  and  ignorant  doctors— that  we 
should  not  puff  ourselves  up  with  the  consi- 
deration that  we  know  better  than  those  whom 
God  has  appointed  over  us  as  teachers,  but  in 
lowliness  hearken  to  their  instructions. 

7.  From  the  fact  of  Mary,  Joseph,  and  Jesus 
accomplishing  the  days,  and  not  leaving  before 
the  feast  was  over — that  we  should  not  be 
eager  to  rush  out  of  church  in  the  middle  of 
service,  in  the  midst  of  the  celebration  of  the 
Blessed  Sacrament,  before  the  completion  of 
the  sacrifice. 

B.  From  the  fact  of  Mary  and  Joseph  going  to 
Jerusalem,  "  according  to  the  custom  of  the 
feast," — we  learn  to  submit  to  all  laudable 
customs,  and  not  to  set  ourselves  against  them 
on  the  plea  of  our  superior  wisdom  or  under- 
standing. 

e.  From  the  fact  of  Mary  and  Jesus  going  to 
Jerusalem,  whereas  the  law  was  not  binding 
upon  women  and  children — we  learn  not  to  rest 
satisfied  with  the  letter,  but  to  go  on  to  the 
spirit ;  not  to  be  content  with  mere  conformity 
to  the  bare  commandment  of  Grod,  but  with 
loving  hearts  to  strive  to  "  do  more  for  His 
sake  than  of  bounden  duty  is  required."  (The 
Church,  for  instance,  bids  us  communicate 
three  times  in  the  year,  but  let  us  draw  near 
oftener  to  the  altar  of  God.  The  law  of  God 
requires  us  to  give  tithes  of  our  goods,  but  let 


110  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

US  give  more,  be  liberal-hearted,  and  liberal- 
handed,  and  glad  to  distribute.  S.  B.  G.) 
f.  From  the  fact  of  Christ  being  said  to  have 
increased  in  favour  with  God  and  man — let  us 
learn  to  seek  first  the  favour  of  God,  and  then 
the  favour  of  good  men  will  be  added  to  us. 
Those  who  seek  first  the  favour  of  men,  often 
lose  both  that  of  man  and  God.  Pilate,  to 
find  favour  with  Caesar,  fearing  the  accusation, 
"Thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend,"  gave  up 
Christ.  And  what  did  he  gain  ?  Nothing  ; 
he  lost  the  favour  of  God  and  of  Csssar.  By 
the  one  he  was  driven  into  exile,  by  the  other 
he  was  cast  down  into  hell. 
Conclusion. 

From  like  fearful  end  may  Christ  in  His  mercy 
keep  us. 

I  will  add  a  few  specimens  of  the  style  of  Matthias 
Faber.  And  I  shall  quote  first  some  portions  of  an 
Easter  sermon. 

"  See  how  our  hope  and  confidence  should  be  fixed  on 
God.  For  the  women  went  to  the  sepulchre  through 
the  morning  twilight,  without  thought  of  the  soldiers 
who  guarded  it,  or  of  the  sepulchral  stone  which  closed 
it,  for  removing  which  they  were  far  too  weak.  But  as 
they  drew  nigh  they  considered  this  difficulty  among 
themselves,  saying,  *  Who  shall  roll  us  away  the  stone 
from  the  door  of  the  sepulchre?'  And  yet  they 
turned  not  back  despondingly,  but  resolutely  perse- 
vered, trusting  in  God  to  provide  the  way  and  means. 


MATTHIAS    FABER.  Ill 

And  so  it  was  as  they  trusted:  by  the  providence  of 
God  the  stone  was  removed  by  an  angel,  and  at  the 
sight  of  the  angel  the  keepers  fled  in  fear.  Where 
human  aid  is  wanting,  there,  if  we  trust  in  God,  Divine 
aid  is  present." 

"  Behold  the  place,  where  we  can  see  an  image  of  the 
beatitude  which  we  may  expect  on  the  Resurrection 
day.  We  see  it  in  the  angel.  For  he  appeared  as  *a 
young  man,*  and  we  all  shall  arise  in  '  the  measure  of 
the  stature  of  the  fulness  of  Christ,*  in  the  flower  of 
youth.  His  countenance  was  like  lightning,  and  the 
bodies  of  the  blessed  shall  be  resplendent  as  the  sun. 
He  was  vested  in  *  raiment  white  as  snow,'  signifying 
the  glory  and  beatitude  of  the  soul ;  *  And  white  robes 
were  given  unto  every  one  of  them '  (Rev.  vi.  11),  those 
white  robes  which  are  promised  to  him  thafc  overcometh 
(Rev.  iii.  5).  He  sat  upon  the  stone — image  of  the 
constant  and  perpetual  rest,  ay,  and  regal  dignity  of 
the  blessed  in  Heaven.  And  lastly,  the  angel  was 
*  sitting  on  the  right  side,'  for  in  Heaven  there  is 
nothing  sinister  and  adverse,  but  all  right,  prosperous, 
and  happy.  But  of  this  I  have  said  enough  elsewhere." 
The  following  are  from  a  Palm  Sunday  discourse : — 
"  Processions  are  in  use  in  the  Church  on  this  day 
with  palm-branches,  in  imitation  of  that  in  which 
Christ  our  Lord  was  this  day  conducted  by  the  crowd 
and  His  disciples  to  the  city  of  Jerusalem.  But  our 
Jerusalem  is  in  Heaven,  and  thither  are  we  advancing, 
led  by  Christ.  With  Him,  and  by  Him,  must  we  enter 
the  vision  of  peace  which  Jerusalem  signifies.  In  this 
procession  he  who  takes  not  part,  enters  not  Heaven. 


112  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

For  the  idle  and  the  spectators  have  no  admission 
there.  All  those  who  took  part  in  that  triumphal 
entry  into  Jerusalem  had  something  to  do.  Some 
loosed  and  led  up  the  ass  and  colt,  some  laid  their 
garments  on  them,  some  set  Jesus  thereon,  some  spread 
the  public  road  with  garments,  some  cut  down  branches 
from  the  trees,  others  again  sang ;  the  very  beasts  ful- 
filled their  office,  and  bore  their  Creator.  In  like  manner 
must  we  do  something  for  Christ,  if  we  would  become 
partakers  of  His  glory." 

After  having  applied  these  several  acts  of  the  multi- 
tude to  various  conditions  of  life,  in  a  practical  manner, 
he  comes  to  the  seventh,  "  Others  cried,  saying,  Hosanna 
to  the  Son  of  David,"  which  he  explains  thus,  "  This  do 
those  who  are  happy  and  well-to-do  in  this  present  life, 
who  are  tossed  by  no  storms  of  adversity,  but  sail  on  a 
tranquil  sea.  But  there  is  danger  in  a  life  so  calm  in 
its  state  of  wealth  and  pleasure.  Yet  they  who  have 
it,  may  also  enter  into  the  Blessed  City,  if  they  refer 
those  good  things  which  they  enjoy  to  God,  and  diligently 
thank  Him  for  them,  *  singing  and  making  melody  in  ' 
their  *  hearts  to  the  Lord ;  giving  thanks  always  for  all 
things  unto  God  and  the  Father  in  the  name  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.'  (Eph,  v.  19,  20.)  In  like  manner 
the  state  of  felicity  in  which  they  were  created  was  not 
injurious  to  the  holy  angels,  for  directly  they  were 
created  they  began  to  sing  praises  and  give  thanks  to 
God  for  the  benefit  they  had  received,  as  God  testified 
to  Job,  *  The  morning  stars  sang  together,  and  all  the 
sons  of  God  shouted  for  joy.'  (Job  xxxviii.  7.)  And 
by  reason  of  this  praise,  they  were  confirmed  in  a  state 


MATTHIAS    FABER.  113 

of  grace  and  felicity,  and  received  glory.  For  this 
cause  the  holy  patriarchs,  though  they  abounded  in 
earthly  possessions,  yet  lost  not  their  salvation.  For 
indeed,  they  referred  all  their  fortune,  their  prosperity, 
their  abundance,  to  God.  Thus  Noah,  saved  from  the 
deluge,  *  builded  an  altar  unto  the  Lord ; '  thus  Abraham, 
having  received  a  promise  of  the  land  for  a  possession, 
*  built  an  altar  unto  the  Lord.'  Thus  did  Isaac  when 
he  received  the  promise  of  the  seed ;  thus  did  Jacob 
when  delivered  from  the  fear  of  Esau ;  thus,  too,  in 
acknowledgment  of  the  good  things  they  acquired, 
they  called  these  things  gifts  of  God ;  as  Joseph  called 
his  sons,  and  as  Jacob  his  sons  and  his  flocks. 

*'  If  those  who  sail  in  prosperity,  would  but  imitate 
these,  and  sing  praises  to  God,  they  would  reach  the 
port  of  safety  without  difficulty." 

I  have  said  that  Faber  did  not  excel  in  simile.  I 
must  instance  a  few  of  his  attempts  at  illustration  of 
this  nature,  to  corroborate  my  statement. 

In  one  sermon,  already  quoted,  he  speaks  of  persons 
who  begin  repentance,  and  then  soon  break  off  from 
their  pious  exercises,  to  return  to  their  old  state  of 
torpor  and  indifference,  and  he  says  they  resemble 
frogs,  which  crawl  a  little  way  out  of  their  swamp, 
but,  at  the  least  sound  to  alarm  them,  flop  into  their 
slough  again. 

In  another  sermon,  Faber  rebukes  those  who  ask 
thoughtlessly  in  prayer,  and  make  no  use  of  the 
blessings  given  them  in  answer,  and  he  tells  them 
they  are  like  the  boys  who  on  bonfire  night  go  about 
begging  wood  with  the  song, — 


114  MATTHIAS    FABER. 

"Lieber  Herz  Sanct  Veith, 
Bescher  uns  ein  Scheitt." 

"  O  dear  Saint  Vitus, 
Grant  us  a  faggot!  " 

And  what  use  do  they  make  of  the  faggot  when  they 
have  it  ?  asks  the  preacher.  "Why  they  make  a  fire 
with  it,  on  which  they  may  jump,  till  they  have 
stamped  it  out ! 

And  in  speaking  of  the  obedience  of  servants  to  their 
masters,  he  says  it  should  resemble  that  of  the  man  who 
is  being  shaved.  Such  a  man  turns  his  head  this  way,  or 
that  way,  puts  his  chin  up,  or  puts  it  down,  in  obedience 
to  the  slightest  gesture  and  sign  of  the  barber. 

Faber  is  fond  of  quoting  popular  sayings  and  proverbs ; 
some  of  which  I  give  in  his  quaint  old  German  : — 

1.  Wer  sich  mischt  unter  die  Klew, 
Dem  fressen  die  Saw. 

2.  Ein  guter  ZoU 
1st  spardir  woll. 

3.  Wo  tein  gleicher  Glauben  ist 

Da  auch  tein  Recht,  betrawen  ist. 

4.  Sanct  Catyarein, 
Schliest  die  Thur  ein. 

This  is  in  reference  to  St.  Katharine's  day  closing 
the  door  of  the  Christian  year. 

I  must  find  space  for  one  story  related  by  Faber  on 
New  Year's  Day. 

A  farmer  once  told  a  wise  man  that  he  was  daily 
becoming  poorer;  whereupon  he  received  from  the 
wise  man  a  casket,  with  the  advice  to  take  it  daily  into 
his  kitchen,  his  garden,  his  storehouse,  his  vineyard. 


MATTHIAS    FABER.  115 

his  cellar,  his  stable,  and  his  field ;  and  then,  on  the 
condition  that  the  box  was  not  opened  till  the  year's  end, 
the  sage  promised  wealth  to  the  farmer.  The  husband- 
man obeyed  implicitly :  in  the  kitchen  he  found  the  cook 
wasting  the  meat,  in  the  cellar  the  vats  leaking,  in  the 
fields  the  labourers  idling,  in  the  garden  the  vegetables 
unhoed.  All  these  disorders  were  rectified,  and  by  the 
year's  end  the  man's  fortune  was  doubled.  Then  he 
opened  the  casket,  and  found  in  it  a  slip  of  paper,  on 
which  was  written  : — 

"  Wills  du  Dag  dir  reichlich  geling 
Solves  taglich  zu  deinem  Ding." 

Which,  Faber  adds,  is  like  the  German  saying,  The 
best  soil  for  a  field  is  that  in  the  farmer's  shoe. 


PHILIP   VON   HARTUNG. 


This  very  popular  preacher  was  born  on  the  25tli 
October,  1629,  at  Theising,  in  Bohemia.  He  entered 
the  novitiate  of  the  Jesuit  order  in  1645,  at  the  age  of 
sixteen.  He  spent  his  early  life  in  different  colleges, 
but  finally  he  ascertained  that  his  vocation  was  to  be  a 
preacher,  and  thenceforth  he  devoted  his  time  and  ener- 
gies to  the  composition  of  sermons.  He  preached  most 
frequently  at  Sternberg,  in  Moravia,  and  at  Glogau,  in 
Silesia.  He  died  at  Eger  on  the  9th  March,  1682, 
aged  fifty-three.  The  greater  part  of  his  works  were 
published  after  his  decease. 

1.  E.  P.  Philippi  Hartung,  Concio  tergemina  rustica, 
civica,  aulica,  in  Dominicas ;  Colon.,  1680,  4to.,  2  vols. ; 
Egr®,  1686,  fol. ;  Colon.,  1709,  4to. ;  Norimbergae,  1718, 
fol.  Conciones  tergeminse  in  Festa;  Norimbergae,  1711, 
4to.     Ibid.,  1718,  fol.,  2  vols. 

2.  PhiHppicae  sive  Invectivao  LX.  in  Notorios  Pecca- 
tores.  Pro  singulis  to  tins  anni  Dominicis.  ^grae,  1687, 
fol.;  Calissii,  1688,  4to. ;  Augustas  et  Dilinga^,  1695, 
4to. 


PHILIP   VON   HARTUKG.  117 

•  3.  Problemata  Evangelica ;  Egroe,  1689,  fol. ;  Au- 
gustse  et  Dilingse,  1695,  4to. 

4.  Heiliger  Tag ;  Pragi  1783,  12mo.  Heiliger  Tag 
und  gate  Nacht ;  Eauffbeyern,  1745,  12mo. 

The  sermons  of  Philip  von  Hartung  are  very  unequal ; 
some  of  them  are  polished  gems,  others  are  very  rough 
diamonds ;  but  none  are  without  value.  The  preacher 
had  his  mind  stored  with  matter,  but  he  was  wanting 
in  the  art  of  nicely  digesting  it,  and  reproducing  what 
fermented  in  his  brain,  in  a  pleasant  form.  At  least,  so 
we  must  judge  of  him  from  his  published  Latin  ser- 
mons ;  but  it  is  quite  open  to  question  whether  these 
discourses  were  delivered  as  they  are  written.  I  am 
rather  inclined  to  regard  them  as  his  schemes  from 
which  he  preached,  the  outlines  which  he  developed 
extempore.  And  this  I  think  the  more  probable,  as  the 
vast  majority  are  short.  It  must  be  remembered  that 
only  one  edition  of  the  sermons  appeared  during  the 
author's  lifetime,  and  that,  only  two  years  before  his 
death.  In  this  edition  are  contained  the  Sunday  ser- 
mons, but  not  those  for  the  festivals. 

Hartung  gives  at  least  three  sermons  for  each  Sunday 
and  festival :  one  addressed  to  a  rural  congregation,  the 
second  to  a  town  audience,  and  the  third  delivered  before 
Court.  As  might  be  expected,  the  concio  aulica  is  the 
poorest  of  the  set,  the  preacher  being  less  at  his  ease, 
and  more  fettered  by  conventionalities.  The  rustic 
sermons  are  capital.  He  preaches  on  broad  facts  of 
religion,  Sunday  after  Sunday,  with  striking  vigour, 
considerable  beauty,  and  no  smaU  amount  of  origi- 
nalitv. 


118  PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG. 

During  the  Sundays  in  Advent  he  preaches  to  the 
rural  congregation  on  the  Last  Judgment.  The  first 
sermon  is  on  the  appearance  in  Heaven  of  the  cross,  the 
sign  of  the  Son  of  Man ;  the  second  is  on  the  trumpet- 
call  waking  the  dead ;  the  third  on  the  examination  of 
the  risen  ones ;  the  fourth  on  the  final  dooms  of  good 
and  bad ;  each  of  these  is  a  most  striking  sermon. 

From  the  first  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany  to  Quinqua- 
gesima,  Hartung  preaches  on  Hell :  the  absence  of  Jesus, 
its  chief  woe,  the  hunger  and  thirst  of  the  damned, 
the  gloom,  the  tears,  the  horror  of  the  abode,  the  un- 
dying worm  of  conscience,  the  fire,  the  eternity  of  the 
punishment,  the  murmurs  of  the  damned,  &c. 

From  the  first  Sunday  in  Lent  to  Palm  Sunday  he 
preaches  on  Death :  the  time  of  death  the  season  of 
temptation,  the  time  of  death  the  moment  of  trans- 
figuration, the  time  of  death  the  time  for  confession  and 
communion,  the  time  of  death  the  moment  of  supreme 
joy,  &c. 

At  the  same  time  he  has  another  series  of  rural  ser- 
mons from  Septuagesima  to  the  close  of  Lent,  on  our 
Lord's  Passion. 

From  Easter  Day,  Hartung  preaches  upon  Heaven  : 
the  beauty  of  the  glorified  body  fills  three  discourses ; 
he  speaks  then  of  the  harmony  of  Heaven,  the  immu- 
tability of  the  joy,  the  vastness  and  beauty  of  the  abode 
of  the  redeemed,  the  delight  of  the  five  senses  in 
Heaven,  and  the  thoughts  of  Heaven. 

Throughout  Trinity,  Hartung  preaches  upon  God. 
I  shall  give  two  sermons  of  the  preacher,  the  one  on 
Hell,  the  other  on  Heaven. 


PHILIP   VON   HARTTJNG.    '  119 

First  Sunday  after  the  Epiphany. 

Rural  Sermon. 

On  Hell—1. 

The  absence  of  Jesus,  the  chief  woe  of  the  lost. 

Luke  ii.  48.  Thy  father  and  I  have  sought  thee 
sorrowing. 

1.  He  loses  much  who  in  a  moment  loses  his  wealth, 
as  did  Job. 

He  loses  more  who  loses  the  favour  of  a  king,  and 
the  love  of  an  intimate  friend,  as  did  Absalom. 

He  loses  more  yet  who  loses  himself,  as  did  Ahitho- 
phel. 

But  he  loses  most  who  loses  Jesus ;  for  he  who  loses 
Jesus  loses  every  thing,  a  treasure  above  price,  the  best 
of  friends,  the  surest  of  counsellors,  his  all  in  all. 

**  Omnia  si  perdas,  Jesum  servare  memento, 
Ipse  tibi  Jesus  omnia  solus  erit." 

The  names  Jesus  and  Jehovah  are  very  similar,  as 
St.  Jerome  observes,  for  what  Jehovah  signifies,  that 
Jesus  is — all  in  all.  Oh !  how  sweetly  does  Ambrose 
exclaim,  "  Christ  is  our  all." 

Art  thou  an  infant  ?  He  is  thy  mother,  her  breast, 
her  milk. 

Art  thou  aged  ?    He  is  thy  staff,  thy  stay. 

Art  thou  a  boy  ?     He  is  thy  path,  thy  way. 

Art  thou  sick  ?  He  is  thy  physician  and  thy  medi- 
cine. 

Art  thou  dying?  He  buries  thy  soul,  not  in  the 
bosom  of  Abraham,  but  in  His  own  pierced  side,  and 


120  PHILIP    VON   HARTUNG. 

thy  body  He  lays  in  the  field  which  He  purchased  for 
thee  at  the  price  of  His  blood,  the  field  of  the  Church, 
His  Bride. 

Christ  is  all  to  us.  He  who  loses  Him,  loses  all. 
Truly,  if  Micah  could  say  when  his  idols  were  removed, 
Ye  have  taken  away  my  gods  which  I  made, — and  what 
have  I  more  ?  (Judg.  xviii.  24  ;)  far  more  truly  may  he 
complain  who  sees  himself  deprived  of  Jesus. 

And  this  will  be  the  chief  woe  of  the  damned — that 
Jesus  is  irrevocably  lost  to  them.  For  if  He  were  in 
hell,  it  would  be  no  hell,  as  Heaven  without  Him  would 
be  no  Heaven,  as  the  Royal  Psalmist  exclaims  :  Whom 
have  I  in  Heaven  hut  Thee  ?  To  be  with  Jesus,  is  to  be 
in  Paradise,  as  the  poor  thief  learned,  when  he  was 
assured  that  he  should  be  with  Jesus,  and  therefore  be 
in   Paradise  :    To-day  shalt  thou  he  with  Me  in  Fara- 


To  be  away  from  Jesus  is  to  be  in  hell.  Wherefore 
the  sentence  of  the  Judge  is :  Depart  from  Me,  ye 
cursed.  To  be  separated  from  Jesus,  and  that  for  ever ; 
ah !  that  is  the  malediction  of  all,  that  a  hell  deeper 
than  hell  itself. 

But  how  is  it  that  we  esteem  this  loss  at  so  small  a 
price?  that  we  lose  Jesus  knowingly,  wilfully,  for  a 
momentary  pleasure,  for  a  point  of  honour,  for  a  no- 
thing at  all ;  and  having  lost  Him,  seek  Him  not  sor- 
rowing ? 

Our  own  gross  ignorance  is  the  cause,  readily  con- 
senting to  sin,  and  so  losing  us  the  dear  presence  of 
Jesus. 


PHILIP   VON   HARTUNG.  121 

2.  How  great  this  loss  is,  and  how  great  a  grief 
arises  from  this  loss,  those  who  have  experienced  the 
loss  know. 

Mary  Magdalene  saw  her  beloved  Jesus  fall  seven 
times  beneath  the  great  weight  of  the  cross,  she  beheld 
Him  hang  for  three  hours  upon  the  cross,  she  saw  Him 
taken  down  from  the  tree  and  laid  in  a  sepulchre,  and 
yet  not  one  Evangelist  says  that  she  shed  a  single  tear. 
But  on  the  most  festive  day  of  the  Eesurrection,  when 
the  angels  sang  their  paschal  hallelujah  in  full  choir, 
when  mourning  was  laid  aside  for  garments  white  and 
clean,  when  the  dead  themselves  rose  for  joy  from  their 
graves,  and  the  dawn  blushed  a  fairer  pink  than  here- 
tofore, and  the  sun,  rejoicing  as  a  giant  to  run  his  course ^ 
scattered  brighter  than  wonted  beams,  then  Magdalene 
wept  inconsolably,  nor  deigned  to  look  at  the  angels 
who  asked,  Woman,  why  weepest  thou  ?  for,  says  the 
Evangelist,  she  had  lowed  down  her  face  to  the  earth, 
as  though  beaten  down  and  crushed  beneath  the  burden 
of  her  sorrow. 

But  why  this  strange  paradox  !  that  she  should  not 
weep  at  the  time  for  tears,  and  now  not  laugh  at  the 
time  for  laughter  ?  Magdalene's  answer  explains  all  : 
They  have  taken  away  my  Lord.  This  was  her  sole  and 
worthy  cause  of  tears — the  absence  of  her  Lord.  "  She 
wept  more,"  says  Augustine,  "  because  He  was  removed 
from  the  sepulchre,  than  because  He  was  slain  upon  the 
tree.'*  "When  He  was  on  the  cross,  she  stood  by;  when 
He  was  entombed,  she  sat  over  against  the  sepulchre ; 
dying  she  was  near  Him,  risen  she  was  parted  from 
Him — therefore  flowed  her  tears.     Truly  may  St.  Ber- 


122  PHILIP    VON   HARTDNG. 


• 


nard  say :  "So  sweet  is  Jesus  to  all  who  taste  of  Him, 
so  beautiful  to  all  who  behold  Him,  so  dear  to  all  who 
embrace  Him,  that  a  little  moment  of  absence  is  greatest 
cause  of  sorrow/'  But  oh  !  what  will  it  then  be,  to  lose 
Him  for  ever  and  ever  ! 

3.  To  this  example  of  a  female  disciple  who  loved 
much,  let  us  add  that  of  a  male  disciple  who  loved  very 
much,  that  from  both  we  may  learn  what  it  is  to  lose 
Jesus.  Peter,  inseparable,  as  it  were,  from  Christ,  ac- 
cording to  his  own  testimony.  Lord,  to  v)hom  shall  ive 
go  ?  Thou  hast  the  words  of  eternal  life, — Peter,  I  say, 
when  he  saw  his  Master  rise  from  the  supper  of  the 
law,  and  gird  Himself  with  the  towel,  pour  water  into 
a  basin,  and  stoop  to  wash  his  feet,  refused  to  permit 
Him  to  do  it :  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet.  Oh, 
Peter  !  hast  thou  forgotten  thy  words  to  thy  Lord  : 
Bid  me  come  to  Thee  on  the  icater  ?  And  why  wilt  thou 
not  dip  thy  feet  in  water  when  thy  Lord  cometh  to 
thee  ?  Thou  art  ready  to  go  with  Him  to  prison  and  to 
death,  and  that  thou  mayest  go  the  better.  He  who 
giveth  Sis  angels  charge  concerning  thee,  is  conforming 
thy  feet  that  they  may  bear  thee  up,  lest  thou  dash  thy 
foot  against  a  stone.  Aj !  He  is  placing  His  hands 
beneath  thy  feet  to  bear  thee  up  Himself,  lest  thou 
stumble  at  the  stone  of  stumbling  and  rock  of  offence. 
Why  delay  ?  Why  shrink  back  ?  Why  recoil  ?  God 
loveth  not  headstrong  piety,  nor  an  obstinate  self-will ! 
Listen,  Peter,  to  what  Christ  answers  thee  :  If  I  wash 
thee  not,  thou  hast  no  part  with  Me.  So  many  words, 
so  many  lightnings !  by  these  Peter  is  threatened,  not 
with    prison    and    darkness,   not   with    horrors    and 


PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG.  123 

wretcliedness,  not  with  pyres  and  wheels,  but  with  the 
absence  of  Christ  Himself,  Thou  hast  no  part  loith  Me. 
.  .  .  Touched  by  this  lightning- stroke,  Peter  ex- 
claims :  Lord^  not  my  feet  only^  hut  also  my  hands  and 
my  head. 

4 

5.  Fatal  will  be  that  last  sentence  :  Depart  from  Me, 
ye  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire.  Here  observe  that  the 
first  portion  of  the  sentence  refers  to  expulsion  from 
Christ's  presence  as  the  chief  pain  of  hell.  Of  which  says 
St.  Chrysostom:  "  This  pain  is  worse  than  to  be  tortured 
in  the  flames."  And  St.  Bruno :  "  Let  torments  be 
added  to  torments,  let  cruel  ministers  cruelly  rack,  let 
all  kinds  of  scourges  increase  their  severity,  but  let  us 
not  be  deprived  of  Grod,  whose  absence  would  be  the 
worst  of  tortures."  And  that  this  may  be  confirmed 
by  the  mouths  of  three  witnesses,  B.  Laurentius  Jus- 
tiniani  says,  "The  interminable  want  of  the  beatific 
vision  will  excel  all  other  woes." 

Certainly  the  damned  would  feel  no  pain  if  they  could 
see  Jesus.  Three  children  were  cast  into  the  burning 
fiery  furnace  of  Babylon,  and  they  trampled  on  the 
flames,  they  sang  among  their  torments,  and  called 
upon  all  creatures  to  unite  with  them  in  praise.  Would 
you  know  the  reason  ?  We  have  it  from  the  mouth  of 
the  hostile  king :  Lo  !  I  see  four  men  loose,  walking  in 
the  midst  of  the  fire,  and  they  have  no  hurt ;  and  the 
form  of  the  fourth  is  like  the  Son  of  God.  The  form, 
the  very  image  only,  of  the  Son  of  God  was  sufficient 
to  remove  all  power  from  the  fierce  element,  to  turn 
torment  into  jubilee,  punishment  into  delight,  a  furnace 

G  2 


124  PHILIP    VON   HARTUNG. 

into  a  joke  {focum  in  jociim ;  a  pun),  a  torturer's  pyre 
into  festive  flames.  No  less  would  the  damned  rejoice 
if  they  could  thus  behold  the  Son  of  Grod,  and  would  set 
at  nought  fire,  hell,  and  damnation. 

6.  Oh !  if  after  myriads  of  years  they  were  given  a 
chance  of  obtaining  one  thing  from  Christ,  would  they 
ask  of  Him  any  thing  else  but  that  which  the  blind  man 
required — Lord,  that  I  may  see  ?  "Why  did  the  damned 
Dives  ask  that  Lazarus  might  come  with  a  drop  of 
water  at  the  tip  of  his  finger  to  cool  his  parched  tongue  ? 
Why  did  he  not  rather  demand  a  refreshing  shower,  or 
a  pleasant  rill  of  cool  water  to  flow  into  his  throat  ? 
It  was  because  he  desired  the  presence  of  the  glorified 
Lazarus.  By  that  presence  all  his  pains  would  be  re- 
lieved, his  hell  would  be  turned  into  Paradise.  The 
longed-for  Lazarus  is  the  very  Son  of  God,  who  suffered 
poverty  at  the  gate  of  the  rich,  asking  for  a  Kttle  crumb 
of  comfort,  but  in  vain ;  rejected  by  the  Jews,  the  dogs 
of  Gentiles  came,  and  found  healing  in  His  wounds. 

Now  the  damned  desire  of  the  Father  that  He  should 
send  His  Son,  who  with  the  finger  of  God's  right  hand, 
the  Holy  Spirit,  might  touch  the  stream  of  celestial  joys, 
and  let  one  drop  distil  into  the  consuming  fire,  to  re- 
fresh the  lost  for  one  moment,  to  give  them  for  one 
instant  a  glimpse  of  the  beauty  of  that  radiant  counte- 
nance. But  in  vain ;  in  vain  they  ask,  they  cry,  they 
weep ;  they  shall  see  the  face  of  Jesus  no  more. 

The  sentence  was  pronounced  against  the  children 
of  outer  darkness  when  God  said.  My  face  will  I  turn 
also  from  them.  The  hiding  of  that  countenance  is  the 
source  of  all  ills.     My  face  will  I  turn  from  them!  they 


PHILIP   VON   HARTUNG.  125 

have  set  the  face  of  men  before  them  in  the  place  of 
Mine.  They  have  loved  the  beauty  of  human  counte- 
nances rather  than  the  glory  of  Mine  which  is  divine. 
My  face  ivill  I  turn  from  them  !  I,  who  turned  not  My 
face  from  those  who  spat  upon  it,  and  buffeted  Me. 
My  face  icill  I  turn  from  them,  and  My  face  is  as  the  sun, 
and  they  shall  never  see  light;  My  face,  which  is  the 
source  of  all  gladness ;  Lord,  lift  Thou  up  the  light  of  Thy 
countenance  upon  us.  Thou  hast  put  gladness  in  my  heart, 
and  they  shall  be  sad  ;  My  face,  the  prospect  of  be- 
holding which  tempers  more  than  did  the  hopes  of 
possessing  Rachel.  They  shall  labour  for  ever  without 
rest,  or  solace,  or  refreshment.  And  this  is  the  sum  of 
their  woes,  that  Jesus,  whom  they  lost  in  the  way  of  life, 
they  find  not  again,  and  shall  not  see  or  grasp  through 
ages  evermore. 

7.  Oh,  weeping  mother  of  Jesus  !  who  soughtest  Him 
whom  thou  hadst  lost,  through  no  fault  of  thine  own  ; 
by  that  pain,  that  anxiety,  that  aching  void  thou  didst 
endure  through  three  days  when  thy  Son  was  absent ; 
keep,  I  pray  thee,  thy  Jesus  and  my  Jesus  in  our  souls, 
that  we  may  never  lose  Him  through  our  grave  offence. 
Rather  may  the  world  perish,  and  all  the  vanity  therein, 
than  that  thy  Jesus  should  be  lost  to  us !  Rather  may 
health  and  life,  and  good  report,  and  fortune,  hope  and 
all  things  perish,  if  only  we  may  keep  Jesus,  without 
whom  all  things  else  are  nought,  for  He  is  all  in  all. 


G  3 


126  PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG. 

The  Second  Sunday  after  Easter. 

Rural  Sermon. 

On  Semen. — YI. 

The  unity  and  concord  of  the  Heaven-dwellers. 

John  X.  16.     There  shall  he  onefold  and  one  shepherd. 

1.  And  when  will  that  happy  time  at  last  arrive, 
when  the  fold  will  be  but  one,  and  one  the  Shepherd, 
so  that  once  more  all  shall  be  of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul 
among  those  that  believe  ? 

Alas  !  the  fold  of  Christ  has  ever  been  broken 
through :  Nicolaitans  and  Corinthians  in  apostolic  times, 
then  Gnostics^  Manichseans,  Arians,  Donatists.  These 
were  followed  by  Iconoclasts,  Albigenses,  Hussites  and 
sects  of  this  age,  which  I  will  not  name  \ 

Shall  there  ever  be  discord  in  the  faith  ?  Shall  we 
in  the  same  fold  be  ever  severed  in  heart  ?  .  .  .  Unity 
is  not  to  be  found  here :  not  here,  but  in  Heaven, 
where  the  Pastor  is  one,  and  the  God  triune  ;  where 
the  flock  is  twofold,  human  and  angelic.  Of  the  con- 
cord of  the  blessed  shall  I  now  speak.  .  .  . 

2.  There  is  not  so  great  a  variety  among  garden 
flowers  or  meadow  herbs,  among  forest  trees,  among 
fishes  of  the  sea  or  birds  of  the  air,  among  meats  at  a 
feast  or  nations  upon  earth,  as  there  is  among  the 
saints.  Yet,  though  so  great  is  the  variety,  great  also 
is  the  harmony.     The  Psalmist,  considering  the  won- 

^  Notice  the  gentle  and  loving  spirit  of  the  Jesuit  here ;  he  avoids 
giving  offence  without  retiring  from  his  position. 


PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG.  127 

drous  unity  of  the  saints,  breaks  forth  into  praise  to 
God,  who  maketh  men  to  he  of  one  mind  in  an  house. 
They  have  the  same  will,  not  as  brothers,  but  as  one 
man,  and  yet  they  are  of  all  tribes,  and  tongues,  and 
nations,  and  they  are  a  great  multitude  which  no  man 
can  number,  yet  all  understand  each  other,  for  each 
can  speak  all  tongues. 

The  variety  of  nations,  and  sexes,  and  states,  and 
merits,  and  natures  will  afford  delight.  The  angels  in 
their  three  hierarchies,  in  each  of  which  are  three 
choirs,  and  in  each  choir  nine  mansions ;  thus  are  they 
divided,  yet  in  this  great  crowd  there  is  no  crowding. 
The  limbs  are  not  bound  to  the  body  as  closely  as  the 
elect  are  united  in  the  bonds  of  their  charity.  Why 
are  the  members  of  the  body  so  united  ?  Because,  for- 
sooth, they  communicate  into  one  spirit.  Though  their 
natures  may  differ,  and  their  offices  vary,  one  soul  con- 
ciliates them;  then  how  much  more  will  the  Divine 
Spirit,  by  whom  all  the  elect  live,  make  unity  such  as 
this  and  much  more  excellent.  None  will  contradict, 
none  contend  with,  none  emulate,  none  envy  another. 
Without  are  dogs.  In  that  country  there  will  be  no 
Cain  to  slay  his  brother  Abel ;  in  that  family  there  will 
be  no  Jacob  to  hate  Esau  ;  in  that  house  no  Ishmael  to 
contend  with  Isaac ;  in  that  kingdom  no  Saul  to  per- 
secute David ;  in  that  college  no  Judas  to  betray  his 
Master.  Hence  their  exceeding  joy.  Behold,  how  good 
and  joyful  a  thing  it  is,  brethren,  to  dwell  together  in  unity  I 
All  will  the  same  thing,  for  all  have  but  one  rule  which 
they  observe,  the  will  of  God,  against  which  they  can 

rebel  no  niore Wherefore,  because  it  is  the  will  of 

g4 


128  PHILIP   VON   HARTUNG. 

God  that  Peter  should  be  greater  than  James,  each 
will  be  content,  each  will  rejoice  in  the  joy  of  the  other 
as  though  it  were  his  own.  Consequently,  St.  Augustine 
says,  "  Each  will  be  glad  in  the  beatitude  of  another,  as 
much  as  in  his  own  ineffable  joy,  and  he  who  has  friends 
has  as  many  joys.  Whatever  is  needful,  whatever 
pleases,  is  there ;  all  riches,  all  rest,  all  solace.  For 
what  can  be  wanting  to  him  where  God  is,  to  whom 
nothing  lacks?  There,  all  know  God  without  error, 
see  Him  without  end,  praise  Him  without  fatigue,  love 
Him  without  fail.  And  in  this  delight,  all  repose  full 
of  God ;  cleaving  ever  to  blessedness,  they  are  blessed  ; 
contemplating  ever  eternity,  they  are  eternal."  See 
how  good  and  how  pleasant !  so  pleasant,  that  one  day 
granted  in  Heaven  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  society 
of  the  blessed  would  be  of  sufficient  value  to  make  us 
resign  all  the  delights  of  this  life,  to  make  us  renounce 
all  evil  companionship.  One  day  in  Thy  courts  is  better 
than  a  thousand.  For  all  joys,  all  pleasures  of  this 
world,  as  compared  to  the  perennial  delight  in  Heaven 
flowing  from  the  vision  of  God  and  the  society  of  the 
saints,  are  but  as  a  drop  to  the  ocean. 

3.  Man  is  a  social  animal,  and  though  he  may  abound 
in  all,  yet  if  he  have  not  a  companion  he  is  not  happy. 
Let  a  man  be  shut  up  in  a  palace  or  a  garden,  and  be 
left  alone,  he  will  soon  weary  of  the  solitude,  and  ask 
to  be  either  let  go  or  to  have  a  companion  admitted. 
God  Himself  judged  this  when  He  saw  that  it  was  not 
well  for  Adam  to  be  alone,  even  in  Paradise.  Seneca 
said  divinely,  "  The  possession  of  no  good  is  pleasant 
without  a  companion." 


PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG.  129 

God,  thougli  He  needs  none,  yet  seems  to  affect 
society,  for  He  says.  My  delights  were  with  the  sons  of 
men.  Indeed,  when  He  designed  to  form  man.  He 
said.  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness. 
Let  us  make,  one  labour  of  the  Three  Persons;  and 
the  one  work  is  social  man.  After  our  likeness,  that 
as  there  is  plurality  of  Persons  in  one  Nature,  so  there 
might  be  a  plurality  of  bodies,  yet  a  unity  of  souls^ 
But  this  unity  will  not  be  perfect,  this  likeness  complete, 
except  in  the  celestial  Paradise,  where,  says  St.  John, 
we  shall  he  like  Sim ;  then,  indeed,  many  will  be  one, 
and  one  like  all,  in  the  admirable  unity  of  souls. 
Drexelius  ingeniously  observes,  "  God  found  an  admi- 
rable art,  by  which  a  happy  one  might  make  the  joys 
of  many  myriads  his  own,  and  thus  each  might  be 
hundredfold  happy."  The  art  consists  in  this,  that  the 
thought  is  deep  rooted  in  each  of  the  blessed  ones,  a 
thought  sweeter  than  honey  :  God  loves  me  intimately 
and  infinitely,  and  I  love  God  with  my  whole  being ; 
and  these  all  love  me,  and  I  love  them ;  eternally  shall 
I  be  loved,  eternally  loving.  Hence  the  immense  joy 
which  each  feels  in  the  other's  happiness.  .  .  .  Isaiah 
beholding  this  celestial  charity,  this  goodly  unity  in  the 
land  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  says.  My  people 
shall  dwell  in  a  peaceable  habitation,  and  in  sure  dwellings, 
and  in  quiet  resting-places. 

Shall  sit  down  (Yulg.).  This  the  position,  this  the 
mark  of  perennial  rest.  Now  we  stand  and  fight  till 
we  drop  into  our  graves.  .  .  .  In  the  beauty  of  peace 
(Yulg.).     Beautiful  is  that  which  is  perfect ;  in  Heaven 

g6 


130  PHILIP    VON   HARTUNG. 

peace  is  most  beautiful,  for  there  is  it  altogetlier  most 
perfect.  In  the  tabernacles  of  confidence  (Yulg.).  When 
six  hundred  thousand  men  went  forth  out  of  Egypt,  they 
dwelt  in  tabernacles,  but  not  in  confidence ;  in  taber- 
nacles of  fear  and  anxiety,  for  the  way  before  them  was 
to  be  opened  by  the  sword,  and  the  foe  was  to  be 
dreaded  on  every  side.  But  in  Heaven  there  is  no  foe, 
nothing  hostile,  no  ambushes,  no  heartburnings;  but 
security  and  confidence,  unity  and  charity ;  therefore 
they  sit  down  in  wealthy  rest  (Vulg.),  for  they  will  not 
only  possess  what  they  have  hoped  for,  but  more  than 
they  hoped  for,  ay  I  more  than  they  were  capable  of 
hoping  for.  One  possesses  what  all  possess,  and  there- 
fore they  are  all  of  one  heart  and  of  one  soul. 

4.  But  how  will  it  be,  that  with  such  disparity  of 
rewards,  there  will  be  no  strife  and  envy  ?  This  may 
best  be  explained  by  a  simile.  If  a  father  had  ten 
sons  of  difierent  statures,  and  were  to  dress  them 
each  alike  in  silk,  the  smallest  would  not  envy  the 
greatest  because  his  breast  was  wider,  his  sleeves  fuller, 
his  cloak  longer,  but  would  be  content  with  his  own 
little  tunic,  and  would  be  unwilling  to  exchange  it. 
So,  too,  the  eldest  would  be  well  pleased  in  the  little 
brother  because  he  was  suitably  equipped.  The  same 
too  in  a  banquet,  where  each  may  drink  what,  and  how 
much,  he  likes.  But  St.  Augustine  has  a  more  grace- 
ful simile,  taken  from  the  strings  of  a  harp.  The 
strings  are  of  various  lengths,  but  when  struck  they 
produce  harmony.  "The  saints  will  have  their  own 
harmonious  differences  in  degrees,  just  as  the  sweetest 


PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG.  131 

music  is  that  produced  by  diverse,  but  not  adverse 
sounds.'' 

5.  He  who  would  attain  to  tbis  most  blessed  society, 
ougbt  to  be  in  the  fold  of  Christ,  that  one,  true,  good 
Church  Catholic,  which  is  the  fold  of  Christ,  beyond 
which  is  neither  unity  of  doctrine  nor  the  bond  of  the 
Good  Shepherd's  charity. 

Secondly,  let  the  Christians  who  are  in  this  fold 
learn  from  the  sheep  to  seek  unity.  Let  them  remain 
closely  bound  to  each  other,  and  not  bite  each  other 
as  dogs,  nor  rend  as  wolves,  nor  kick  as  horses,  nor  butt 
as  goats;  so,  0  Christian,  abstain  from  tossing  thy 
neighbour  on  the  horns  of  pride,  injuring  him  with  the 
bark  of  envy,  rending  him  with  the  tooth  of  detraction ; 
but  like  a  gentle  lamb  cleave  to  the  Good  Shepherd, 
and  thou  shalt  be  of  the  dear  sheep  of  Christ.  For 
what  St.  Bonaventura  sskjs  seraphically,  touching  the 
religious  state,  is  to  be  repeated  a  thousand  times  : 
"  There  is  no  greater  proof  of  a  man's  predestination, 
and  that  he  is  conforming  himself  to  God,  than  that  he 
should  exhibit  himself  to  be  gentle  and  patient,"  and 
I  add,  that  he  should  show  his  love  for  concord  and. 
unity. 

I  think  that  no  one  can  peruse  these  two  sermons, 
which  I  have  given  almost  entire,  curtailing  them  but 
slightly,  without  being  convinced  of  the  overflowing 
charity  and  deep-seated  piety  of  the  holy  man  who 
wrote  them.  Whatever  there  may  be  of  crudity  in  the 
style,  every  thought  gushes  from  the  pure  spring  of  the 
love  of  God,  open  and  flowing  in  the  heart  of  the  good 

g6 


132  PHILIP   VON   HARTtJNG^. 

Jesuit.  Se  that  helieveth  on  Me,  out  of  his  helly  shall floW 
rivers  of  living  icater,  may  justly  be  applied  to  Philip  von 
Hartung.  Many  and  many  a  rill  of  the  water  of  Life 
may  be  lighted  on  in  the  garden  of  delights  contained 
in  his  volumes.  Often,  perhaps,  the  water  is  dis- 
coloured, but  more  often  is  it  limpid  and  crystalline  as 
when  it  leaped  out  of  the  fount  of  God. 

In  style  Hartung  resembles  the  more  earnest  preachers 
of  dissent,  because  he  speaks  from  the  heart.  Out  of 
the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaheth.  If  our 
preachers  had  the  zeal  and  the  love  of  God  which  was 
found  among  the  great  Catholic  orators,  and  is  still  to 
be  discovered  among  dissenting  ministers,  there  would 
be  fewer  complaints  of  the  barrenness  of  the  land,  less 
deadness  to  the  calls  of  God  in  professed  Church-goers. 
It  is  quite  impossible  for  a  preacher  to  effect  the  slight- 
est good  unless  he  feels  what  he  says  from  the  depths  of 
his  soul ;  it  is  hopeless  for  him  to  expect  to  draw  hearts 
to  the  love  of  Jesus,  if  he  knows  not  what  that  love  is. 
And  the  sermon,  however  eloquent  and  finished  in 
style,  will  never  convert  sinners,  unless  its  inspiration 
is  derived  from  God ;  and  that  inspiration  can  alone  be 
obtained  by  prayer. 

He  who  prays  much  is  filled  with  a  power  of  winning 
souls  quite  inexplicable ;  he  sheds  a  sort  of  magnetic 
influence  upon  hearts,  drawing  them  to  Christ;  and, 
though  the  words  be  few  and  ill-chosen,  they  can  do  a 
work  for  God  which  the  most  polished  masterpiece  of 
elocution  would  be  powerless  to  effect. 

I  think  the  story  is  told  of  Francis  Eorgia,  that  he 
was  asked  to  preach  at  a  certain  church  in  a  distant 


PHILIP    VON    HARTUNG.  133 

city.  On  his  arrival  he  was  too  ill  to  speak,  and  he 
requested  some  one  to  occupy  his  place.  ''No!"  said 
the  priest  who  had  summoned  him ;  "  only  mount  the 
pulpit,  say  nothing,  and  come  away."  He  did  so ; 
hearts  were  touched,  people  burst  into  tears,  and  the 
confessionals  were  filled  with  penitents.  He  was  a 
man  of  Prayer. 


JOSEPH   DE   BARZIA. 


I  KNOW  of  no  preacher  of  his  age  who  comes  so  near  to 
Paolo  Segneri,  the  great  luminary  of  Italian  eloquence, 
as  this  Spaniard,  De  Barzia.  He  flourished  at  the  begin- 
ning of  the  seventeenth  century,  and  was  Bishop  of  Cadiz. 

His  works  are  : — 

Christianus  animarum  excitator.  Auctore  J.  de  Bar- 
zia, Soc.  Jesu  ;  Augustao  Yindelicorum,  1721,  2  vols, 
folio. 

There  is,  I  believe,  a  mistake  in  this  title ;  Joseph  de 
Barzia  was  not  a  Jesuit ;  at  all  events,  the  brothers 
Bacher  have  not  included  him  in  their  catalogue. 

Compendium  excitatoris  Christiani ;  lingua  primum 
Hispanica  vulgatum  ipsomet  ab  Auctore  Rdo.  D.  Josepho 
de  Barzia  Episcopo  Gaditano,  nunc  demum  Latine  ver- 
sum  a  R.  P.  Petro  Gummersbach,  Soc.  Jesu ;  Coloniae, 
1724,  4to. 

Manductio  ad  excitationem  Christianorum ;  seu,  Ser- 
mones  Missionales.  Auctore  Jos.  de  Barzia ;  AugustsD 
Yindelic,  1732,  2  vols,  in  one,  8vo.  Ibid.  1737,  2  vols, 
in  one,  8vo. 

The  sermons  of  De  Barzia  are  model  mission-dis- 
courses; they  are  interesting,  pointed,  full  of  illustra- 


JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA.  135 

tion  and  anecdote,  and  are  eminently  qualified  to  arrest 
the  attention,  and  arouse  the  consciences  of  the  hearers. 

The  good  Bishop  possessed  the  art  of  never  suffering 
the  attention  of  his  audience  to  flag.  He  carefully 
avoided  wearing  his  subject  thread-bare,  and  the 
moment  he  saw  that  his  shot  had  taken  effect,  he 
opened  a  new  battery  from  another  point  altogether,  yet 
aimed  at  the  same  object. 

His  knowledge  of  the  Bible  is  wonderful,  even  for 
a  Eoman  Catholic  Post-Mediaeval  preacher ;  his  ser- 
mons teem  with  Scriptural  illustrations  of  the  most 
apposite  character,  culled  from  every  portion  of  Holy 
Writ.  It  is  not  that  he  affects  quotations  from  Scrip- 
ture in  the  manner  of  Helmesius,  who,  in  an  Advent 
sermon,  could  make  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  quo- 
tations, but  that  he  found  in  his  Bible  an  inexhaustible 
store  of  illustration  for  every  subject  which  he  handled. 

The  majority  of  Mediaeval  sacred  orators,  and  their 
immediate  followers,  seemed  to  think,  and  consequently 
speak,  in  Scripture  terms,  but  De  Barzia  preaches  to 
unlettered  men,  who  knew  little  or  nothing  of  their 
Bibles,  beyond  the  broad  outlines  of  sacred  history,  and 
who  would  not  recognize  quotations  from  the  prophetic 
books  or  the  Epistles.  He  therefore  avoids  these  to  a 
considerable  extent,  unless  he  can  point  them  out  seve- 
rally as  words  of  Scripture,  and  confines  himself  chiefly 
to  the  narrative  portions  of  the  inspired  volume.  He 
selects  an  incident  which  can  bear  upon  his  subject, 
relates  it  in  the  most  vigorous  style,  and  then  applies 
it  with  force  and  effect. 

And  these  happy  selections  show  such  thorough  ac- 


136  JOSEPH    DE    BARZIA. 

quaintance  with  the  sacred  writings,  that  it  is  im- 
possible not  to  see  that  Holy  Scripture  formed  the  staple 
of  the  good  Bishop's  meditations,  night  and  day.  His 
sermons  are  eminently  practical ;  they  are  not  dog- 
matic. He  Barzia  makes  no  attempt  to  instruct  in 
Catholic  doctrine,  he  presupposes  that  his  hearers  are 
orthodox,  he  does  not  suggest  the  possibility  of  there 
being  a  heretic  among  them,  he  makes  no  attempt  to 
arm  them  for  the  conflict  of  the  faith,  but  he  goes 
straight  as  an  arrow  to  their  consciences,  and  stirs  them 
to  the  perception  of  their  moral  obligations. 

In  this  he  differs  widely  from  the  German  and  French 
preachers  of  his  age,  who  seldom  preached  without 
firing  a  broadside  at  heresy,  and  generally  took  the 
opportunity  to  furnish  their  hearers  with  arguments  in 
favour  of  Catholic  doctrines  and  practices. 

He  Barzia  is  more  subjective  than  the  other 
preachers  of  his  day,  and  he  excels  in  sermons  calcu- 
lated to  strike  terror  into  the  impenitent  heart.  Each 
man  has  his  special  line,  and  his  was  the  declaration  of 
God's  judgments.  Marchantius  would  melt  the  stony 
heart  with  love.  He  Barzia  shatter  it  with  fear.  And 
yet  his  soul  was  full  of  tenderness  and  the  love  of  God, 
which  exude  from  him  occasionally,  as  the  aromatic 
gum  from  the  frankincense. 

For  instance,  take  the  following:— "Ungrateful 
sinner,  let  me  speak  to  thee  in  the  name  of  Jesus  cru- 
cified— '  Why  ! '  says  He  to  thee,  *  who  filled  thee  with 
such  rage  against  Me  ?  What  iniquity  have  your  fathers 
found  in  Me  ?  (Jer.  ii.  5.)  Of  what  sin  canst  thou 
charge  Me,  that  thou  ragest  so  furiously  against  Me  ? 


JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA»  137 

Many  good  things  ham  I  shoioed  you ;  I  have  displayed 
abundant  charity,  I  have  poured  forth  many  benefits ; 
for  which  of  those  works  do  ye  stone  Me  ?  (John  x.  32.) 
Art  thou  enraged  against  Me  because  I  brought  thee 
into  existence  out  of  nothing  ?  Art  thou  vexed  because 
I  have  watchfully  preserved  thee?  because  I  have 
brought  thee  to  a  saving  faith  ?  Dost  thou  count  it 
an  injury  that  I  gave  up  life  and  honour,  blood  and  all, 
upon  the  cross  for  thee?  ....  Come  now,  answer 
thou  Me,  wherefore  art  thou  enraged  against  Me  ? '  0 
Jesu,  best  beloved !  cease  to  inquire  !  I  own  that  there 
is  no  cause,  I  acknowledge  my  audacity,  and  I  bewail 
it !  Flow,  my  tears,  flow,  and  streaming  over  my 
cheeks,  testify  to  my  sorrow !  Break,  0  heart,  break, 
through  excess  of  love  !  I  acknowledge,  I  own,  I  see 
clearly  my  condition.  What  have  I  done !  I  have 
returned  Thee  evil  for  good,  and  hatred  for  Thy  good 
will.  Which  was  it,  love  or  enmity,  which  crucified 
Thee  ?  0  Lord  !  it  was  love,  and  it  was  enmity.  Thine 
the  love,  mine  the  enmity." 

The   following   abstract  is  a  good  specimen  of  the 
Bishop's  quaintness. 

The  Seventeenth  Sunday  after  Pentecost. 

Sermon  III. 

God  is  to  be  loved  with  the  whole  heart,  and  even 
light  sins  are  to  be  avoided. 

Matt.  xxii.  37.     Thoti  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  ivith 
all  thy  heart. 

The  unhappy  Ishbosheth,  son  of  Saul,  was  slain  in 


138  JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA. 

his  own  house,  after  the  destruction  of  his  father's 
army.  How,  think  you  ?  Was  the  door  open  for  the 
foe  to  enter  ?  It  was  open  :  for  he  had  been  winnow- 
ing wheat ;  and  they  came  about  the  heat  of  the  day  to 
the  house  of  Ishbosheth,  ivho  lay  on  a  bed  at  noon.  And 
they  came  thither  into  the  midst  of  the  house,  as  though 
they  would  have  fetched  wheat;  and  they  smote  him, 
(2  Sam.  iv.  ^,Q>.)  Here  was  neglect  of  ordinary  watch- 
fulness, a  little  heedlessness,  a  little  drowsiness,  a  little 
care  for  the  wheat,  leading  to  loss  of  life.  St.  Eucher 
says  truly,  "When  man  loses  the  solicitude  of  discre- 
tion, he  leaA^es  the  door  open  for  the  ingress  of  evil 
spirits  to  the  slaying  of  his  soul.'' 

Truly,  many  an  ill  has  come  to  us  through  this 
indifference  to  our  danger,  through  carelessness  for  our 
spiritual  peril. 

Oh,  what  precious  swords  are  rusted,  because  they 
are  not  drawn  from  their  scabbards  ! 

Oh,  what  noble  horses  become  sluggish  in  their 
stalls,  because  they  are  not  exercised ! 

Oh,  what  crj'-stalline  pools  nourish  reptiles,  because 
they  are  not  stirred  ! 

Oh,  what  great  souls,  living  in  honour  and  purity, 
have  fallen  into  an  abyss  of  sin,  because  they  have  been 
negligent !  "  For,"  says  Lessius,  "  he  who  serves  God 
negligently,  deserves  in  return  that  God  should  not 
exert  Himself  to  care  so  greatly  for  him." 

Little  venial  faults  begin  to  accumulate  and  in- 
crease till  the  whole  moral  nature  is  clouded  by  them. 
The  intellect  is  darkened,  the  fervour  of  charity  cooled, 
the  spirit  stained ;  the  strength  fails  in  temptation,  the 


JOSEPH    DE    BARZIA.  139 

soul  is  enervated  in  prayer,  the  whole  man  is  neglectful 
in  the  practice  of  good  works ;  and  why  ?  Because  he 
has  neglected  to  purge  himself  of  his  little  faults,  to 
struggle  against  his  infirmities.  King  David  often 
cried  to  God,  Incline  Thine  ear  unto  me ;  how  doivn  Thine 
ear  to  me.  (Ps.  xvii.  6  ;  xxxi.  2 ;  Ixxi.  2.)  It  was  not 
enough  that  God  should  hear  his  prayer,  but  He  must 
also  bow  down  over  him.  Just  as  sick  men,  when  their 
voices  are  broken  and  faint  with  disease,  require  the 
physician  to  incline  his  ear  to  their  lips ;  so  does 
David,  well  knowing  how  weakened  and  broken  is  his 
prayer  through  venial  sins  and  daily  transgressions, 
ask  God  in  like  manner  to  incline  His  ear  to  him. 

Oh,  how  great  is  the  evil  arising  from  little  ills !  A 
grain  of  sand,  how  light  it  is !  but  many  grains  accu- 
mulated will  sink  a  stately  vessel !  How  light  is  a  drop 
of  rain !  yet  many  gathered  into  one  stream  will  sub- 
merge houses  !  How  trifling  is  the  loss  of  a  little  tile  ! 
yet  it  will  admit  the  rain  to  rot  the  timber,  to  break 
down  the  walls,  and  to  produce  a  ruin  ! 

In  like  manner  one  little  venial  sin  may  lead  to 
destruction,  if  it  be  neglected.  It  is  a  trifle  looked  at 
by  itself,  but  it  has  brought  a  soul  to  perdition,  in  that, 
as  St.  Thomas  asserts,  a  venial  sin  may  dispose  towards 
the  commission  of  a  deadly  sin ! 

It  is  worth  noting,  the  manner  in  which  the  sea- 
crab  gets  an  oyster  and  eats  it.  In  the  morning  early 
the  oyster  gapes,  that  it  may  bask  in  the  sunbeams. 
Then  up  steals  the  crab,  not  boldly  advancing  upon  the 
fish,  or  it  would  at  once  close  its  shell  and  escape  him, 
or  clutch  him  tight  by  his  claws.     What  course  does 


140  JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA. 

the  crafty  animal  adopt  ?  It  takes  a  little  pebble  and 
tosses  it  into  the  oyster.  This  prevents  tlie  valves  from 
closing,  and  then  he  rushes  up  and  devours  the  oyster 
at  his  leisure. 

Soul  of  man !  just  so  comes  the  evil  one  towards 
thee ;  not  alluring  thee  to  some  sin  of  horrible  deadli- 
ness,  but  flinging  a  little  pebble — a  tiny  fault — into 
thy  heart,  and  if  thou  cast  it  not  from  thee  at  once,  but 
keepest  thy  heart  still  unclosed,  he  obtaineth  an  entry 
and  destroy eth  thee  utterly. 

Take  another  specimen.  The  following  passages  are 
condensed  from  a  sermon  on  the  Vanity  of  all  the  labour 
of  sinners,  and  the  lamentations  of  lost  souls  when  they 
behold  in  retrospect  their  life  squandered  in  empty 
trifles. 

The  Fourth  Sunday  after  Pentecost. 

Sermon  III. 

Luke  v.  5.     We  have  toiled  all  the  night,  and  have  taken 
nothing. 

Those  words  of  Job  are  worthy  of  notice,  I  have 
made  my  bed  in  the  darkness.  I  will  explain  them  to 
you  by  the  use  of  a  simile. 

A  lighted  candle  is  given  to  a  servant  that  he  may 
retire  to  rest  by  its  light,  after  that  he  has  made  his 
bed.  The  fellow  snatches  up  the  candle  and  begins  to 
wander  about  the  house,  dawdling  over  this  or  that, 
gossiping  with  one  or  another,  till  the  candle  is  ex- 
pended, flickers  up,  and  dies  out.  Then,  in  hurry,  he 
runs  to  his  chamber,  but  he  is  without  light,  and  he  is 
constrained  to  make  and  to  retire  to  his  bed  in  the  dark- 


JOSEPH   DE   BARZIA.  141 

ness.  0  Christian  soul !  if  you  sigh  for  the  rest  of 
eternal  glory,  know  that  God  has  given  to  you  for  the 
very  purpose  of  finding  it,  and  preparing  for  it,  the 
taper  of  life.  If  you  consume  that  life  in  idleness  and 
in  vanities,  you  will  have  to  make  your  bed  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  in  the  outer  darkness  lie  down  to  rest, — to 
rest !  oh,  no !  to  seek  rest,  and  find  none  on  that  ill- 
made  couch,  to  toil  all  the  night  of  eternity  and  to  take 
nothing ;  for  the  time  of  preparation  has  been  wasted, 
and  the  work  which  was  to  be  done  has  been  neglected 
till  the  allotted  time  for  doing  it  has  expired^ 

Of  the  virtuous  woman  declared  King  Solomon, 
She  layeth  her  hands  to  the  spindle.  Where  is  the  flax  ? 
"  Spun,''  says  St.  Ambrose.  See  what  a  mystery  is  in- 
volved here  !  The  flax  is  attached  to  the  head  of  the 
distaff",  and  the  spun  thread  is  twisted  round  the 
spindle.  "  On  the  distaff*  is  that  which  is  to  be  done, 
on  the  spindle  that  which  is  done,"  says  the  same 
Father.  Therefore  does  Solomon  commend  the  just 
soul  which  has  accomplished  its  work,  not  that  which 
has  its  work  to  accomplish :  for  that  soul  which  has 
finished  its  work  is  secure,  not  that  which  has  to  com- 
mence it.  Look,  then,  to  thy  spindle,  see  if  of  the 
work  God  has  set  before  thee  any  is  spun  off  and  com- 
pleted ;  if  so,  there  lay  thy  hand,  for  there  is  thy  virtue, 
there  thy  security.  Christian  man !  that  the  praise  of 
the  virtuous  soul  may  be  thine,  it  behoveth  thee  not  to 
have  a  handful  of  flax  at  thy  distaff-head,  but  a 
full  spindle  at  thy  side :  not  purposes,  but  acts ;  not 
confession  to  be  made,  but  confession  made ;  not  resti- 
tution to  be  accomplished,  but  restitution  accomplished; 


142  JOSEPH    DE    BARZIA. 

not  injuries  to  be  forgiven,  but  injuries  already  for- 
given. Things  that  are  future  are  but  flax  on  the 
distaff-head,  flax  which  will  blaze  up  and  leave  no 
trace ;  but  things  of  the  present  are  thread  spun,  and 
therefore  is  the  virtuous  woman  commended,  who  layeth 
her  hands  to  the  spindle. 

Terrible  is  the  sentence  of  God  in  Deuteronomy : 
//  I  whet  My  glittering  sword,  and  Mine  hand  take  hold 
of  judgrnent ;  I  ivill  render  vengeance  to  Mine  enemies. 
(Deut.  xxxii.  41.)  And  where  will  God  whet  His 
glittering  sword  ?  Where  are  blades  usually  whetted  ? 
Let  us  look.  Surely  on  a  whirling  circular  stone.  And 
on  what  stone  will  God  whet  His  sword  ?  I  reply,  on 
that  stony  heart  of  the  sinner,  which  is  ever  revolving, 
never  at  rest.  Watch  the  grindstone  a  little  while. 
See  how  it  plunges  down  into  a  trough  of  turbid,  foul, 
and  muddy  water.  0  stone,  stone !  why  rush  down 
into  this  filth?  Rise  up,  rise  up  from  this  unclean- 
ness.  I  put  my  hand  to  it,  I  set  the  stone  in  motion. 
How  easily  is  it  made  to  revolve  !  It  moves — it  leaves 
that  sink  of  filth — it  mounts  upwards.  In  vain !  It  whirls 
round,  and  with  a  rush  seeks  again  its  bed  of  pollution. 

Heart  of  sinner,  hard  and  stony !  why  dost  thou 
not  emerge  from  the  corruption  in  which  thou  wallow- 
est ?  'I  will  emerge,'  thou  repliest.  Why  dost  thou 
not  leave  thy  enmities,  thy  passions,  thy  shameful  un- 
cleanness?  *I  will  leave  them,' is  thy  answer.  And 
yet  nothing  comes  of  these  fine  promises.  Always  on 
the  move  like  the  grindstone,  you  never  remove  from 
the  trough  of  slime  ;  always  leaving  sin,  that  with 
fresh  relish  you  may  plunge  into  it  again. 


JOSEPH    DE    BARZIA.  143 

Know,  you  sinners  who  are  so  full  of  good  resolu- 
tions which  come  to  nought,  so  full  of  promises  of 
amendment  which  end  in  relapse,  that  it  is  on  whirling 
grindstones  such  as  you  that  the  glittering  sword  of 
Divine  vengeance  is  whetted.  If  I  ivhet  My  glittering 
sword,  ...  J  will  render  vengeance  to  Mine  enemies. 

To  whom,  I  ask,  will  He  render  vengeance  ?  To  His 
enemies ;  to  those  such  as  you  who  have  such  excellent 
purposes,  but  who  have  never  accomplished  one  good 
purpose.  Then  when  that  sword  is  whetted,  too  late 
will  you  exclaim  with  the  lost,  *  We  have  erred,  we  have 
erred,  we  have  taken  nothing !'  Wretched  sinners  ! 
do  you  hear  these  threats,  these  warnings,  these  words 
of  Gfod  calling  you  to  repentance  ?  You  hear,  and  yet 
you  stop  your  ears  as  the  deaf  adder ;  you  despise,  you 
laugh,  you  mock,  you  harden  into  stone  ! 

Well,  then,  be  hard  as  stone,  have  your  laugh  out, 
despise  as  you  will,  stop  your  ears  !  you  are  at  liberty  so 
to  do !  Yet,  mark  me,  the  time  will  assuredly  come 
when  the  laugh  will  be  turned  against  you. 

Because  I  have  called,  and  ye  refused;  I  have  stretched 
out  My  hand,  and  no  man  regarded;  hut  ye  have  set  at 
nought  all  My  counsel,  and  would  none  of  My  reproof: 
awful  is  that  which  follows !  I  also  will  laugh  at  your 
calamity ;  I  will  mock  when  your  fear  cometh.  (Pro v.  i. 
24 — 26.)  0  good  God !  0  goodness  immeasurable, 
dost  Thou  laugh  at  the  destruction  of  Thy  sons  !  Alas  ! 
terrible  laughter  is  that  indeed. 

Hannibal  is  said,  after  the  subjection  of  Carthage 
by  E-ome,  to  have  walked  through  the  city,  and,  as  he 
saw  the  tears  and  heard  the  wailing  of  the  people  who 


144  JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA. 

groaned  under  the  terrible  burden  imposed  upon  them 
by  the  conquerors,  to  have  laughed.  Then,  when  his 
fellow-citizens  rose  up  against  him  in  indignation,  he 
replied,  "  I  laugh  not  from  joy  to  see  your  bondage ;  but 
I  laugh  at  your  tears,  now  too  late,  now  in  vain  ;  for 
had  you  in  proper  time  fought  as  men,  now  you  would 
not  be  weeping  as  women." 

Behold,  0  sinners,  as  in  a  picture,  your  tears  and 
God's  laughter  :  you  bewailing  your  misery,  and  God 
laughing  at  your  tears  :  you  sobbing  through  eternity 
under  the  burden  of  the  DeviFs  rule,  and  God  laughing 
at  your  sobs :  you  lamenting  in  the  agony  of  eternal 
fire,  and  God  laughing  at  your  lamentations  :  and  all — 
because  when  as  Christians  you  might  have  fought  the 
good  fight,  now,  when  too  late,  you  break  forth  into  tears 
which  are  vain,  and  into  lamentations  which  are  fruitless. 

Surely  this  is  a  very  terrible,  yet  striking  sermon, 
one  sure  to  tell  on  rude  and  uncultivated  minds,  from 
the  vigour  of  the  moral  application,  and  the  richness  of 
the  imagery. 

There  are  some  very  remarkable  passages  in  the  next 
sermon,  which  is  on  the  subject  of  the  merit  of  good 
works  consisting  in  the  inward  disposition,  and  not  in 
the  magnitude  of  the  outward  act. 

De  Barzia  relates  the  story  of  the  anointing  of  David. 
He  pictures  Samuel  before  the  sons  of  Jesse  admiring 
the  stalwart  form  of  Eliab,  and  the  stature  of  Aminadab, 
and  thinking  that  one  of  these  must  be  the  destined 
king.  Yet  no— it  is  none  of  these.  The  word  of  God 
bids  him  anoint  David,  the  youngest,  the  feeblest,  the 


JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA.  145 

sheplierd  boy :  for  the  Lord  said  unto  Samuel,  Look  not 
on  his  countenance.  . . .  Man  looketh  on  the  outivard  appear- 
ancCy  hut  the  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart.  Oh  !  exclaims 
the  Bishop,  how  different  are  the  judgments  of  God 
from  those  of  man  ! 

Men  often  preach  up  some  act  as  great  and  won- 
derful which  is  worthless  in  God's  judgment.  Men 
estimate  the  quality  of  a  work  from  the  outside,  God 
weighs  the  inward  intent  of  the  soul :  as  says  the  wisest 
of  kings :  All  the  tcays  of  a  man  are  clean  in  his  otvn 
eyes ;  hut  the  Lord  weigheth  the  spirits.  (Prov.  xvi,  2.) 
This  is  the  difference  between  the  judgments  of  God 
and  of  man,  and  this  difference  will  be  made  manifest 
when  all  things  shall  be  revealed  before  the  Divine 
tribunal.  To  that  judgment-seat  will  come  the 
Christian  soul  and  there  give  account  of  all  its  works, 
its  alms,  its  fasts,  its  prayers :  boastfully  perhaps  it  will 
advance,  resting  on  the  multitude  of  these,  reckoning 
to  enter  through  them  into  life  everlasting,  and  to 
merit  the  crown  of  immortality. 

Look !  what  an  eminent  work  of  mercy !  a  large  sum 
of  money  given  as  dower  to  a  poor  girl !  Look  !  what 
a  meritorious  fast !  three  days'  abstinence  on  bread  and 
water !  Look  not  on  his  countenance.  To  the  eye  these 
seem  to  be  great  works,  and  yet  they  are  accounted  as 
nothing  by  God,  because  they  were  not  wrought  with  a 
right  intent :  whereas  the  crust  of  stale  bread  given 
in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  and  out  of  love  to  God,  is  re- 
warded with  a  crown  of  eternal  glory.  I  am  reminded, 
says  the  preacher,  of  a  story  told  by  John  Geminiano, 
which  is  to  the  point. 

H 


146  JOSEPH   DE   BARZIA. 

Two  women  came  before  a  judge,  contending  about 
the  ownership  to  a  clew  of  wool,  wliicb  each  claimed  to 
be  her  own. 

The  judge  inquired  as  to  the  shred  upon  which  the 
wool  had  been  wound.  One  woman  declared  she  had 
wound  it  upon  a  bit  of  black  rag,  another  affirmed  that 
the  piece  was  white.  Then  the  judge  ordered  the  wool 
to  be  unwound,  and  djelivered  it  over  to  the  woman  who 
had  asserted  that  she  had  used  a  black  rag  ;  for  the  end 
of  the  thread  was  found  twined  round  a  black  centre. 

Oh!  how  carefully  will  all  excuses,  all  outward 
appearances,  be  wound  off  at  the  last,  and  the  true 
intent  within  be  revealed !  Now  every  act  is  like  a 
clew,  and  who  can  tell  what  lies  at  its  core,  and  what 
its  origin  ? — all  that  is  hidden.  Now  self-love  persuades 
man  that  his  show  of  virtue  is  wound  about  the  best  in- 
tention, as  a  white  bobbin,  but  too  often  has  it  been 
coiled  about  the  black  one  of  vanity  or  self-will. 

"  Let  each  man  fear,"  says  St.  Bernard,  "lest,  in  that 
searching  examination,  his  righteousness  prove  to  be 
sin."  The  Amalekite  soldier,  who  dealt  King  Saul  his 
death-blow,  came  exultingly  to  David  expecting  great 
reward,  and  lo !  he  received  the  punishment  of  death  ; 
in  like  manner  will  many  a  man  at  the  last  perish  eter- 
nally who  has  expected  to  triumph.  .  .  . 

When  thou  appearest  before  God  the  righteous 
Judge,  say,  whose  will  be  the  works  thou  hast  wrought? 
Thy  studies,  thy  labours,  thy  vigils,  thy  cares,  thy 
traffic,  thy  contracts,  thy  business  of  life,  whose  will 
they  be?  Works  of  salvation  to  thee,  or  works  of 
avarice  ?     All  the  many  Sacrifices  of  the  altar  at  which 


JOSEPH    DE    BARZIA.  147 

thoTi  hast  assisted !  All  the  pious  sermons  thou  hast 
listened  to,  all  the  alms  thou  hast  distributed,  all  the 
penances  thou  hast  undergone,  all  the  Communions  thou 
hast  received,  all  the  fasts  and  mortifications  thou  hast 
undertaken,  all  the  works  of  mercy  thou  hast  performed  ! 
Tell  me,  are  they  to  be  referred  to  nature  or  to  grace,  to 
reason  or  to  concupiscence,  to  self-love  or  to  the  love  of 
God  ?  Tell  me,  are  they  works  meriting  eternal  salva- 
tion, or  deserving  condemnation?  Whose  shall  those 
things  be  which  thou  hast  provided  ? 

Chj"istian  soul,  all  this  is  now  veiled  in  mystery  in- 
scrutable, but  this  will  be  made  manifest  before  the  sun, 
when  the  Judge  shall  call  up  for  examination  all  thy 
works,  and  pronounce  upon  them,  one  after  another, 
according  to  the  end,  according  to  the  method,  accord- 
ing to  the  intent,  according  to  the  circumstances  where- 
with they  have  been  wrought. 

This  admirable  lesson  is  taken  from  the  first  sermon 
for  the  Sixth  Sunday  after  Pentecost.  I  will  now 
give  a  sketch  of  one  of  De  Barzia's  complete  sermons  ; 
and  I  shall  select  for  the  purpose  one  on  the  subject 
of  the  solemn  account  those  will  have  to  give  who 
hinder  others  in  their  spiritual  progress. 

There  are  other  sermons  by  the  preacher  on  the  same 
subject,  but  this  is  the  best  among  discourses  which  are 
all  very  good.  To  my  taste  this  sermon  is  superior  to 
any  by  Paolo  Segneri. 

The  text  is  from  the  Gospel  for  the  day — with  us,  the 
Gospel  for  the  Purification. 


h2 


148  JOSEPH   DE    BARZTA. 

The  Sunday  after  Christmas  Day. 
Sermon  II. 

Luke  ii.  40.  And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong 
in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom ;  and  the  grace  of  God  tvaa 
upon  Him, 

Exordium.  Among  other  iniquities  which  Absalom 
committed  in  his  rebellion,  perhaps  the  chief  was  that 
he,  by  flatteries  and  fair  promises,  stole  away  the  hearts 
of  the  men  of  Israel  from  their  allegiance  to  David. 

Poolish  youth !  exclaims  the  preacher ;  see .  the 
veterans  of  the  king  drawn  up  before  thee  in  battle 
array !  See  the  army  of  mighty  warriors  assembled  to 
overthrow  thee  !  Thy  destruction  impends  ;  it  is  but  a 
matter  of  a  few  hours  more  or  less.  Yet,  lo !  on  the 
contrary,  I  see  David  fleeing ;  David,  the  mighty  man  of 
war ;  David,  who  shrank  not  before  Goliath  ;  David,  who 
quailed  not  before  Saul ;  he,  even  he,  without  striking  a 
blow,  turns  his  back  to  flee  before  an  undisciplined 
rabble !  How  can  we  account  for  this  ?  Chrysostom 
replies,  ^'  David  fled,  not  because  he  feared,  but  because 
he  did  not  choose  to  see  his  son  slain  before  his  eyes.'* 
It  was  love,  not  fear,  which  put  him  to  flight.  So  great 
was  the  guilt  of  Absalom  in  weaning  the  children  of 
Israel  from  their  duty,  that  it  could  only  be  washed  out 
in  the  blood  of  the  ofi'ender.  And  all  those  who  by 
enticing  words,  or  by  evil  example,  allure  others  from 
their  duty  to  God,  their  true  King,  act  as  did  Absalom, 
and  like  Absalom  will  be  slain,  all  the  sort  of  them. 

Propositio.  The  subject  of  this  sermon  is  the  severe 
judgment  which  will  fall  on  all  those  who  put  stum- 


JOSEPH   DE   BABZIA.  149 

bling-blocks  in  the  way  of  their  brethren,  or  who,  in 
any  way,  impede  their  spiritual  progress. 

Confirmatio.  We  do  not  hear  of  God's  wrath  being 
kindled  against  any  nation  so  fiercely  as  against 
Amalek.  I  will  hlot  out  the  remembrance  of  Amalek 
from  under  Heaveny  He  swore,  and  He  bade  Saul  again 
and  again,  Go  and  smite  Amalek.  What  was  the  sin 
of  this  people,  that  Divine  fury  should  thus  be  roused 
against  it  ?     The  answer  is  threefold. 

First,  the  children  of  Amalek  opposed  the  progress  of 
the  Israelites  to  the  Promised  Land ;  and  Moses  reminded 
the  people  that  this  sin  was  not  to  go  unpunished : 
Remember  what  Amalek  did  unto  thee  by  the  way^  when 
ye  were  come  forth  out  of  Egypt ;  hoiv  he  met  thee  by  the 
way,  and  smote  the  hindermost  of  thee,  even  all  that  tvere 
feeble  behind  thee,  when  thou  wast  faint  and  weary ;  there- 
fore it  shall  be,  when  the  Lord  thy  God  giveth  thee  rest  from 
all  thine  enemies  round  about,  in  the  land  which  the  Lord 
thy  God  giveth  thee  for  an  inheritance  to  possess  it,  that 
thou  shalt  blot  out  the  remembrance  of  Amalek  from  under 
Heaven;  thou  shalt  not  forget  it.    (Deut.  xxv.  17 — 19.) 

But  this  is  not  a  sufficient  answer.  Did  not  other 
nations  rise  up  against  Israel  to  withstand  them  in  their 
advance  ?  The  Midianites  fought  against  them ;  the 
Amorites  blocked  their  way ;  Og,  King  of  Basan,  fell 
upon  them ;  and  yet  against  these  no  such  fearful  de- 
nunciations of  wrath  were  launched.  The  Lord  hath 
sivorn,  that  the  Lordioill  have  war  with  Amalek  from  gene- 
ration to  generation.  And  four  hundred  years  after : 
Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  Hosts,  I  remember  that  which 
Amalek  did  to  Israel,  how  he  laid  wait  for  him  in  the  way, 

h3 


150  JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA. 

when  he  came  up  from  Egypt.  Now  go  and  smite  Amalek, 
and  utterly  destroy  all  that  they  have,  and  spare  them  not ; 
hut  slay  both  man  and  woman,  infant  and  suckling,  ox  and 
sheep,  camel  and  ass.  (1  Sam.  xv.  3.)  For  the  second 
reason  turn  to  tlie  thirty-sixth  chapter  of  Genesis. 

Timna  was  concubine  to  Eliphaz,  Esau's  son ;  and  she 
bare  to  Eliphaz  Amalek,  Consequently  the  Israelites 
and  the  Amalekites  were  near  of  kin ;  thejrwere  sprung 
from  the  loins  of  one  father,  Isaac.  This  nation,  con- 
sequently, which  was  bound  by  kindred  to  assist  the 
Israelites,  forgot  its  ties  of  blood,  and  fell  upon  them. 

There  is  also  a  third  reason  for  the  annihilation  of 
Amalek.  It  was  the  first  of  all  the  nations  to  assault 
the  chosen  people,  the  first  to  fall  upon  them  with  the 
sword,  the  first  to  stop  the  way  to  the  Promised  Land. 
This  was  the  final  reason  why  Amalek  was  singled 
out  for  such  overwhelming  destruction  that  Balaam  in 
prophecy  could  exclaim :  Amalek  was  the  first  of  the  na- 
tions that  warred  against  Israel  (marg.),  but  his  latter  end 
shall  be  that  he  perish  for  ever.  The  children  of  Israel 
were  in  a  critical  position  when  encamped  at  Rephidim : 
they  had  just  escaped  from  Egypt,  and  in  a  few  days 
they  might  return  thither  if  their  hearts  failed  at 
the  prospect  of  war.  They  had  begun  to  sigh  for 
the  leeks,  and  the  onions,  and  the  flesh-pots  of 
Egypt,  and  but  little  more  was  wanting  to  bring 
their  discontent  to  a  climax,  and  to  send  them  back 
to  their  captivity.  Amalek,  being  the  first  to  attack 
them,  set  an  example  to  other  nations  of  the  land, 
provoking  Midianite,  Moabite,  and  Amorite  to  regard 
the  chosen  people  of  God  as  enemies  instead  of  treating 


JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA.  151 

them  as  wayfarers,  to  impede  their  progress  instead  of 
opening  to  them  a  passage. 

AppUcatio.  From  this  learn,  Christian  soul,  that  if 
God  chose  to  annihilate  this  people  because  it  hindered 
the  chosen  race  in  its  progress  to  the  Land  of  Promise, 
because  it  opposed  this  people  which  it  was  bound  by- 
relationship  to  assist,  because  it  was  the  first  to  do  so, 
thereby  encouraging  others  to  stand  against  it — then 
great  indeed  will  be  Grod's  wrath  with  you,  if  you  pre- 
vent others  from  reaching  the  Heavenly  Canaan,  they 
being  members  of  the  same  spiritual  family,  and  you 
being  the  one  to  encourage  others  to  destroy  the  souls 
for  which  Christ  died. 

Let  infidel,  heathen,  and  heretic  persecute,  their 
guilt  is  tolerable  compared  to  yours ;  if  you  lead  from 
the  paths  of  righteousness,  and  you  be  the  first  so 
to  lead  astray,  one  who  is  of  the  same  household  of 
Faith,  a  brother,  a  relation,  one  redeemed  by  Christ's 
blood,  a  member  of  the  same  mystical  body,  of  the  same 
Church — think  what  you  are  thereby  doing !  Christ, 
the  true  Moses,  is  leading  His  people  from  the  Egjrpt 
of  sin,  through  the  wilderness  of  this  world,  into  the 
country  of  everlasting  felicity.  And  what  are  you 
doing  ?  Barring  the  passage  to  God's  people,  undoing 
the  work  of  Christ,  setting  at  nought  the  blood  of  the 
covenant.  Terrible  will  be  the  condemnation  of  those 
who  act  thus ! 

De  Barzia,  after  having  appealed  earnestly  to  the 
consciences  of  his  hearers,  and  urged  them  to  examine 
themselves  whether  they  have  ever  put  an  occasion 
of  falling  in  their  brother's  way,  bursts  into  a  magni- 

H  4 


152  JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA. 

ficent  piece  of  irony.  He  says  that  lie  hears  the 
excuse  made, — "  Come,  now  I  persecution  is  a  strong 
term,  unjustifiably  strong ;  I  never  persecuted  any  one 
for  leading  a  holy  life :  I  may  have  teased  So-and-so, 
but  that  is  all ;  just  teased  him  in  joke,  you  under- 
stand.** In  joke  !  a  joke  more  ruinous  than  the  worst 
cruelty  of  a  persecutor.  A  joke  I  Ah,  ha  !  a  right 
merry  joke,  a  capital  joke,  indeed  !  Go,  cut  the  pipes 
which  bring  water  into  this  city — only  in  joke,  of 
course — cut  the  pipes,  then,  and  watch  the  result. 
Such  a  joke  !  the  fountains  fail,  the  mills  cease  working, 
the  gardens  are  parched  up,  men  and  beasts  perish 
through  thirst.     Oh,  magnificent  joke  ! 

This  the  Bishop  applies  with  all  his  vehemence  and 
fire.  He  then  continues  by  reference  to  the  old  law : 
Life  for  lifey  eye  for  eye,  tooth  for  tooth,  hand  for  hand, 
foot  for  foot,  burning  for  burning,  wound  for  wound, 
stripe  for  stripe.  If  a  man  smote  another  with  a  stone 
.  and  injured  him,  by  the  law  of  Moses  he  was  bound  to 
pay  for  the  cure  of  the  injured  man,  and  also  for  the 
loss  of  time.  By  which  is  signified,  that  if  any  one  by 
evil  example,  or  bad  advice,  cause  spiritual  sickness  in 
another,  he  must  atone  for  that,  suffering  for  the  sins 
which  he  has  led  his  brother  to  commit. 

Epilogus.  Woe  to  such  an  one  on  the  last  great 
day,  when  the  Judge  says,  "See,  impious  man,  this 
child  was  waxing  strong  in  spirit,  filled  with  wisdom,  and 
the  grace  of  God  was  upon  him,  but  you  by  your  sneers 
and  ridicule,  by  your  jests  and  scoffs,  turned  him  aside 
from  the  path  of  My  commandments  into  the  way  of 
death.     You  have  made  My  labours  for  that  poor  soul 


JOSEPH   DE    BARZIA.  153 

in  vain ;  come  now,  make  recompense  for  all  that  you 
liave  done/'  and  He  shall  deliver  him  to  the  tormentors 
till  he  have  paid  the  debt. 

At  the  risk  of  wearying  the  reader,  I  shall  give  in 
outline  a  specimen  of  one  of  De  Barzia's  Saints' -day 
sermons,  and  I  select  the  third  for  the  festival  of  St. 
John  the  Divine, 

Text,  John  xxi. —  W7iat  is  that  to  thee  ? 

Introduction.  Although  our  Lord  promised  to  His 
disciples  that  they  should  have  whatsoever  they  asked, 
yet  He  made  the  condition —i/'ye  abide  in  Me.  Wherefore  ? 
Judas  had  at  this  time  gone  out,  so  that  those  to  whom 
the  promise  was  made  were  certain  to  abide  in  Christ ; 
and  He  in  His  foreknowledge  knew  that  of  the  eleven 
all  would  remain  constant  till  death.  But  Jesus  spake 
not  out  of  His  omniscience  as  God,  but  out  of  care  for 
the  eleven,  lest  they  should  be  elated  and  puifed  up 
with  spiritual  pride,  knowing  that  they  were  ordained 
to  eternal  life.  Christ  spoke  conditionally,  so  as  to 
teach  them  fear  and  anxiety  for  themselves,  and  in 
order  to  keep  them  humble. 

Subject.  The  uncertainty  in  which  we  are  as  to  our 
future  condition  is  salutary ;  for  it  keeps  us  on  the  watch, 
it  makes  us  cautious  and  anxious  about  our  salvation. 

Confirmaiion.  When  Jacob  fl'ed  from  Laban,  he  was 
pursued  by  his  father-in-law,  who  had  lost  his  house- 
hold gods  which  Eebecca  had  stolen.  Laban,  charged 
Jacob  with  the  theft,  and  Jacob  bore  the  charge  with 
patience,  and  without  resentment.  But  after  that 
Laban  had  searched  through  the   goods   of  his   son- 

H  5 


154  JOSEPH   DE   BARZIA. 

in-law,  hut  found  them  not.  And  then^  but  not  till 
then,  Jacoh  was  wroth  and  chode  with  Lahan.  (Gen. 
xxxi.  36.)  How  was  this  ?  At  first  Jacob  was  full 
of  meekness,  but  now  he  is  wroth.  Oleaster  gives 
the  reason,  he  says  :  "At  first  Jacob  knew  not  whether 
the  idols  were  amongst  his  stuff  or  not,  but  now,  the 
moment  that  he  feels  himself  secure,  his  anger  breaks 
forth  against  Laban  for  having  accused  him  of  the 
theft.  As  long  as  he  was  afraid  lest  the  idols  should  be 
found,  he  was  silent ;  but  when  they  were  not  found, 
then  he  became  bold.'^  And  which  of  you.  Christian 
souls,  knows  whether  some  idols  may  not  be  secreted  in 
the  dark  corners  of  your  hearts,  some  secret  sins  buried 
deep  in  your  bosoms  ?  No  man  knoweth.  Wonderful 
is  the  providence  of  God  which  leaves  us  ignorant  as  to 
our  final  condition,  so  as  to  keep  us  humble.  But  sup- 
pose now,  0  man  !  that  you  were  assured  of  your  final 
acceptance,  satisfied  that  there  was  no  idol  hidden  in 
the  depths  of  your  heart,  would  you  not  be  filled  with 
pride  as  was  Jacob,  would  you  not  break  forth  into  words 
of  contempt  for  those  who  are  not  so  sure  ? 

Epilogue.  Thanks  be  to  Thee,  0  infinite  God,  for 
Thy  great  mercy  in  having  veiled  Thy  final  judgment 
from  our  eyes,  so  that  every  one  is  rendered  fearful  lest 
he  should  miss  the  prize  of  his  high  calling,  and  fail 
to  reach  the  crown  for  which  he  is  now  striving.  For 
Thou  hast  concealed  it  solely  for  our  good  :  yet  is  our 
future  state  foreknown  to  Thee ;  and  Thou  wouldst 
have  us  serve  Thee  not  for  the  hope  of  reward,  or  for 
the  fear  of  torment,  but  from  love :  and  Thou  art 
worthy  to  be  loved  and  served  though  there  were  no 
future  glory,  no  future  hell. 


JACQUES  MAECHANT. 


Although  the  subject  of  this  notice  was  well  known 
in  his  own  day  as  an  eloquent  preacher,  his  sermons, 
with  few  exceptions,  have  not  come  to  us  in  their  original 
condition,  and  March  ant  is  known  now  chiefly  as  a 
dogmatic  and  moral  theologian.  His  great  work,  the 
Hortus  Pastor um,  contains  the  notes  of  his  sermons  and 
catechetical  instructions,  as  we  know  from  his  own 
account ;  and  he  published  them  in  a  compendious 
form,  that  they  might  serve  the  like  purpose  to  other 
preachers.  The  Hortus  Pastorum  differs  widely  from 
the  Dictionaries  and  Libraries  of  Predication,  which 
issued  from  the  press  at  the  close  of  the  Middle  Ages ; 
for  they  contained  crude  extracts  from  the  Fathers  and 
from  Mediaeval  expositors  of  Holy  Scripture,  without 
any  attempt  being  made  at  digesting  them  into  a  form 
ready  for  delivery,  whereas  each  proposition  of  Mar- 
chant  might  be  pronounced  from  the  pulpit  verbatim, 
and  indeed  possesses  all  the  ring  of  a  popular  sermon. 

Jacques  Marchant  flourished  in  the  Low  Countries  at 
the  beginning  of  the  seventeenth  century.     He  had  the 

H  6 


156  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

good  fortune  to  sit  at  the  feet  of  Cornelius  a  Lapide, 
when  that  great  man  taught  at  Louvain,  a  circumstance 
fully  appreciated  by  Marchant,  and  referred  to  by  him 
with  thankfulness  in  his  preface. 

He  was  appointed  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  Bene- 
dictine monastery  of  Floreffe,  which  had  been  founded 
in  1121  by  Godfrey  Count  of  J^amur,  and  he  seems  to 
have  looked  back  in  his  later  life  with  firm  attachment 
to  his  cloister  life  in  that  picturesque  and  venerable 
abbey  above  the  gliding  Sambre.  He  was  afterwards 
removed  to  the  more  famous  monastery  of  Lobes,  which 
had  sent  forth  so  many  great  men  in  the  Middle  Ages, 
and  there  he  contracted  a  lasting  intimacy  with 
Raphael  Baccart,  afterwards  its  abbot. 

Marchant  was  next  transferred  to  the  town  of 
Couvin,  to  the  church  of  which  he  became  pastor  and 
dean. 

Jacques  Marchant  wrote  his  work,  "  The  Garden  of 
Pastors,*^  at  the  instigation  of  his  brother  Peter,  a 
Franciscan,  at  one  time  Commissary  and  Visitor- Gene- 
ral of  the  Province  of  Britain,  and  afterwards  Pro- 
vincial of  that  of  Flanders. 

The  Dean  of  Couvin  was  a  man  of  very  remarkable 
refinement  of  taste.  His  mind  was  eminently  poetic, 
and  there  is  not  a  subject  which  he  touched,  over  which 
he  has  not  cast  a  gleam  of  beauty.  He  handles  his 
matter  with  the  utmost  tenderness,  yet  he  holds  it  with 
the  firm  grasp  of  a  theologian. 

The  glow  of  his  fervent  piety  irradiates  every  page 
of  his  writings,  and  invests  them  with  that  peculiar 
charm  which  attaches  to  the  works  of  the  great  mystic 


JACQUES    MARCHANT.  157 

and  spiritual  writers  of  an  earlier  age.  He  is  full  of 
holy  reverence  and  godly  fear :  with  him  there  is  none 
of  that  offensive  trifling  with  sacred  matters,  none  of 
that  profane  prying  into  solemn  mysteries,  which  dis- 
graced certain  of  the  earlier  preachers,  who  were  only 
eager  to  exhibit  themselves  as  well  versed  in  the 
subtleties  of  the  schools. 

Marchant  never  approaches  a  sacred  subject  but  with 
veiled  face  and  the  bow  of  reverence;  never  does  he 
degenerate  into  buffoonery;  "The  wise  man  doth  scarcely 
smile  a  little," — and  the  smile  of  our  author  is  inex- 
pressibly sweet. 

If  St.  Thomas  Aquinas  is  to  theology  what  Michael 
Angelo  was  to  art,  then  Jacques  Marchant  may  take 
his  place  beside  Angelico  of  Fiesole. 

And  perhaps  the  reason  of  this  spirituality  is,  that 
the  Dean  drew  from  the  purest  wells  of  living  water, 
instead  of  letting  down  his  pitcher  in  the  polluted 
cisterns  of  a  pagan  antiquity.  Profoundly  learned  he 
was  not ;  his  knowledge  of  the  classics  was  but  limited ; 
— but  he  was  well  versed  in  the  writings  of  the  great 
Christian  Fathers,  and  well  trained  in  the  science  of  the 
Saints. 

His  pure  and  loving  spirit  seems  to  have  panted,  like 
the  hart,  for  the  water-brooks  of  Divine  wisdom,  and 
to  have  turned  instinctively  from  the  dry  and  sterile 
land  whither  the  men  of  his  day  were  bending  their 
steps.  Yes ;  he  left  the  satyr  to  dance  in  the  desolate 
ruins  of  the  olden  world,  that  he  might  lie  down  in  the 
green  pastures  of  the  Christian  faith. 

It  is  certainly  remarkable  that,  whereas  in  his  day 


158  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

men  affected  to  quote  tlie  classic  writers  of  Eome  and 
Greece,  and  the  study  of  these  authors  was  reviving, 
Marchant  passes  them  almost  completely  over\  The 
catalogue  of  his  library  I  give,  as  it  would  be  hard  to 
find  one  more  judiciously  selected. 

His  commentators  on  Holy  Scripture,  in  addition  to 
the  Fathers,  are  Jansenius,  Titelmann,  Jansonius  Bara- 
dius,  Yiegas,  Salasas,  Eibera,  and  Cornelius  a  Lapide. 
His  theological  writers,  after  the  great  Thomas  and 
Cajetan,  are  Bellarmin,  Suarez,  Clarius,  Torres,  and 
Malderus.  The  preachers  whom  he  consults  are  Pepin, 
Louis  of  Granada,  Diez,  Stella,  Yega,  lachinus,  Staple- 
ton,  Osorius,  Yalderama^  Coster,  Labata,  and  Car- 
thagena. 

His  spiritual  authors  are  Thomas  a  Kempis,  Blosius, 
Harphius,  Platus,  Aponte,  Sales,  Salo,  Solutivo,  Eode- 
riguez,  Bruno,  and  Baldesanus. 

His  catechetical  writers  are  Canisius,  Somnius, 
Foelisius,  Nider,  Bayus,  and  Claude  Thuet. 

"  And  although,"  says  Marchant,  "  I  may  have 
amassed  stones,  wood,  and  mortar  from  other  sources 
than  my  own  field  or  quarry,  in  order  that  I  might 
erect  this  edifice,  yet  do  not  deny  it  to  be  mine,  for  it 
is  according  to  my  own  scheme ;  mine  is  the  labour, 
mine  the  skill,  mine  the  hand  which  erected,  disposed, 
and  consummated  it.  No  one  surely  will  deny  that  the 
garden  is  his  who  possesses,  digs,  cultivates,  arranges, 
and  adorns  it,  though  he  may  have  brought  from  else- 

1  I  believe  he  quotes  Juvenal  twice,  Ovid  once,  and  the  ^neid  twice. 

2  Valderama,  however,  is  not  to  be  commended ;  he  is  vulgar,  pompous, 
and  irreverent. 


JACQUES   MAUCHANT.  159 

where  some  seeds,  herbs,  fruit-trees,  and  flowers,  which 
by  pruning,  lopping,  and  transplanting,  he  may  have 
sown  or  planted  there.  However,  it  is  little  to  have 
sown,  planted,  watered,  and  cultivated,  unless  there  be 
increase  and  fruit  produced,  all  which  comes,  not  of 
human  skill,  but  of  God  alone. 

"I  say,  then,  that  the  garden  is  not  mine,  but  His 
who  worketh  all  in  all,  to  whom  I  commend  and  recon- 
secrate it  with  my  whole  heart,  that  He  may  give  it 
increase.  And  do  thou  use  it  happily,  and  pray  for  me. 
Farewell." 

The  Hortus  Pastorum  consists  of  four  books ;  the  first 
treats  of  Faith,  the  second  of  Hope,  the  third  of  Charity, 
the  fourth  of  Justice — the  four  great  streams  springing 
from  one  source  which  water  the  Eden  of  the  Church. 

Under  the  head  of  Faith,  Marchant  expounds  the 
Apostles'  Creed  in  seventeen  tracts,  each  containing 
several  propositions  and  lections. 

Under  the  head  of  Hope,  he  discusses  prayer,  and 
especially  the  Lord's  Prayer  and  the  Angelic  Salutation. 
In  this  book  are  five  tracts. 

Under  the  head  of  Charity,  Marchant  treats  of  the 
Commandments,  in  four  tracts. 

The  fourth  book  of  the  Hortus  Pastorum  has  a  sepa- 
rate title,  the  Tuba  Sacerdotalis,  or  the  sevenfold  blast 
of  the  priestly  trumpet  laying  low  the  walls  of  Jericho. 

These  walls  of  the  city  of  palms  are,  according  to 
Marchant,  the  seven  deadly  sins,  which  he  accordingly 
treats  of  in  seven  tracts,  each  containing  from  nine  to 
ten  lections. 

In  addition  to  the  Hortus  Pastorum  and  the  Tuba 


160  JACaUES   MARCH  ANT. 

Sacerdotalis,  Marchant  is  the  author  of  other  works,  a 
list  of  which  follows,  together  with  the  list  of  the  dif- 
ferent editions  of  the  Hortus. 

Hortus  Pastorum ;  Parisiis,  Soly.  fol.,  1638. 
Do.  do.  1651. 

Do.  do.     Josse,  fol.,  1661. 

Do.  Coloniee,  4to.,  1643. 

Do.  nova  editio  curante  M.  Alix ;  Lug- 

duni,  fol.,  1742. 
Candelabrum  Mysticum ;  Montibus,  4to.,  1630. 
Do.  cum  Horto ;   Parisiis,  fol.,  1638. 

Do.  do.  do.  1651. 

Do.  do.  do.       4to.,  1696. 

Yitis  florigera  de  palmitibus,  etc. ;  Parisiis,  fol.,  1646. 
Triomphe  de  St.  Jean  Baptiste  ;   Mons,  12mo.,  1645. 
Opuscula  pastor  alia ;  Parisiis,  4to.,  1643. 
Resolutiones  pastorales  ;  Colonias,  18mo.,  1655. 

Do.  cum  Horto,  q.  v. 

Quadriga  Marias  Augustse ;  Montibus,  8vo.,  1648. 
Conciones  funebres;  Colonise,  2  vols.  4to.,  1642. 
Do.  do.  1652. 

Rationale  Evangelizantium,  in  quo  doctrina  et  Veritas 
evangelica  sacerdotibus  ad  pectus  appendenda.  Ace. 
Yitis  florigera.  Ed.  quinta  opusculis  part.  &c.  Coloniae, 
3  vol.  in  uno,  4to.,  1682. 

The  funeral  orations  are  hardly  likely  to  be  much 
read  now,  but  the  sermons  on  the  Saints,  published 
under  the  title  of  Yitis  florigera,  are  of  value ;  they  give 
an  outline  of  the  life  of  each  Saint,  and  a  moral  appli- 
cation of  the  lesson  inculcated  by  the  Church  in  the 
appointment  of  the  festival.   The  Eesolutiones  pastorales 


JACQUES    MARCHANT.  16l 

will  be  found  exceedingly  useful,  as  it  contains  solutions 
of  many  difficulties  which  are  likely  to  beset  a  parish 
priest.  The  Candelabrum  Mysticum  is  a  very  important 
and  useful  practical  exposition  of  the  Sacraments,  and  the 
Yirga  Aaronis  florens,  which  is  generally  bound  up  with 
the  Hortus,  is  an  admirable  directory  of  priestly  life,  con- 
taining godly  admonitions  and  advice,  under  five  heads 
and  thirteen  lections,  each  lection  representing  a  blos- 
som on  Aaron's  rod,  or  a  perfection  in  the  sacerdotal  life 
to  which  every  priest  should  labour  to  attain.  At  the 
end  of  this  work  there  is  an  interesting  account  of  the 
introduction  and  founding  of  a  congregation  of  St. 
Charles  Boromeo  (oblates),  in  the  diocese  of  Leyden, 
by  the  joint  efforts  of  Marchant  and  his  friends  Stephen 
Strecheus,  Suffragan  of  Leyden,  and  John  a  Chokier, 
Yicar-General.  This  congregation  is  a  society  of 
secular  Clergy  constituted  on  much  the  same  principles 
as  the  Societies  of  the  Oratorians  and  St.  Philip  Neri. 
At  this  time,  when  associations  for  the  advancement  of 
spiritual  life  are  being  formed  in  our  own  branch  of 
the  Church,  it  would  be  well  to  consider  whether  the 
rules  of  St.  Charles  might  not  be  taken  and  adapted  to 
our  modern  exigencies,  and  so  the  congregation  of 
oblates  be  revived  amongst  ourselves. 

But  to  return  to  the  Shepherd's  Garden. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  manner  in  which  Jacques 
Marchant  expounds  a  doctrine,  I  will  give  in  outline 
his  exposition  of  the  eleventh  Article  of  the  Creed — 
"  The  Eesurrection  of  the  Body." 

Lection  I.  On  the  resurrection  of  the  dead. 

Proposition   1.    Universal    resurrection    was    an- 


162  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

nounced  in  the  Old  and  'New  Testaments  ;  Christ 
proves  this  from  the  words,  The  God  of  Abra- 
ham, Isaac,  and  Jacob,  saying,  Ife  is  not  the  God 
of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living. 

For  the  Sadducees  denied  the  existence  of 
angel  or  spirit,  and  a  state  of  life  after  death. 

If  God  is  Grod  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob, 
and  He  is  God  of  the  living,  then  these  patriarchs 
are  in  a  state  of  existence  after  death. 

Christ  quoted  from  Moses,  and  not  from  pas- 
sages in  the  prophets,  because  the  Sadducees 
accepted  the  Pentateuch  only. 

Christ  raised  some  from  the  dead  as  an  earnest 
of  what  He  would  do  hereafter,  as  for  instance, 
Lazarus,  the  widow's  son,  and  the  daughter  of 
Jairus. 
Proposition  2.  The  resurrection  of  the  body, 
though  naturally  hard  to  be  understood,  is  most 
easy  to  be  performed  by  God. 

The  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  was  unknown 
to  the  philosophers. 

There  are  natural  difficulties  in  the  way, 
yet  it  is  possible  with  God,  as  illustrated  by 
the  vision  of  Ezekiel  (xvii.). 

Daniel  also  was  promised  the  resurrection 
(xii.  2). 

Marchant  relates  the  story  of  the  seven  sleepers 
as  an  illustration  of  the  manner  in  which  those 
sleeping  in  their  graves  may  awake  in  the  flesh 
and  in  the  likeness  of  their  former  selves. 

Nature  gives  us  figures  and  types  of  resur- 


JACQUES    MARCHANT.  163 

rectioTi :  the  seeds  decaying  and  springing 
up  again ;  the  trees  shedding  their  leaves  to 
burst  again  into  leaf,  and  flower,  and  fruit; 
the  waning  of  the  year  to  break  again  into 
spring. 

If  there  is  a  difficulty  in  "our  conceiving  how  a 
body  scattered  to  the  winds  may  be  restored,  take 
a  globule  of  quicksilver,  shiver  it  into  countless 
minute  particles,  gather  them  again  into  your 
palm,  and  lo  !  the  globule  is  identical  with  that 
which  was  before. 
Proposition  3.  This  doctrine  of  a  resurrection  has 
been  the  source  of  joy  and  consolation  to  saints 
and  martyrs  in  their  afflictions. 

Example  of  Job.  I  know  that  my  Redeemer 
livethy  and  that  He  shall  stand  at  the  latter  day 
upon  the  earth :  and  though  after  my  skin  worms 
destroy  this  body,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God. 
(Job  xix.  25,  26.) 

Example  of  the  seven  brethren  (2  Mace.  vii.). 

Examples  of  St.  James  and  St.  Nicasius. 

The  Apostle  asserts  that  if  we  had  no  such 
hope  we  should  he  of  all  men  most  miserable,  but  we 
have  a  hope  of  resurrection  (Phil.  iii.  20,  21). 

In  like  manner  then  as  the  husbandman  (James 
V.)  waits  unconcernedly  for  the  time  when  his 
seed  sown  in  corruption  shall  spring  up,  so  must 
we  not  be  saddened  if  these  our  corruptible  bodies 
waste  and  decay,  but  must  commit  them  unto 
the  faithful  Creator,  remembering  the  words  of 
Habakkuk,  Rottenness  entered  into  my  bones,  and 


164  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

I  trembled  in  my  self ^  that  I  might  rest  in  the  day  of 
trouble.  .  .  .  Yet  I  will  rejoice  in  the  Lordy  I  will 
joy  in  the  God  of  my  salvation.  The  Lord  God  is 
my  strength,  and  He  will  make  my  feet  like  hinds' 
feet,  and  He  will  make  me  to  walk  upon  mine  high 
places. 
Lection  II.  Of  the  identity  of  the  risen  with  the 
present  body. 

Proposition  1.  The  two  bodies  are  essentially  one. 
The  resurrection  is  one  of  the  flesh,  not  of  the 
soul  only. 

It  is  a  resurrection  of  substantial  flesh,  not 
of  an  aerial  phantom. 

Job  distinctly  says.  In  my  flesh  shall  I  see  God, 
whom  I  shall  see  for  myself  and  not  another ;  in 
the  same  skin  and  flesh,  not  in  other  skin  and 
flesh  ;  with  the  same  eyes. 

Example  of  Eutychius  of  Constantinople  con- 
fessing this  truth  when  dying. 

Corollary.  From  this  we  see  what  dignity  belongs 
to  the  human  body,  with  what  reverence  man 
should  treat  it,  and  how  it  is  worthy  to  be 
guarded  carefully  by  angels  (Jude  9). 

Proposition  2.  Although  the  risen  body  is  iden- 
tical with  the  natural  body  in  substance,  yet 
it  difiers  from  it  in  accidents.  For  the  risen 
body  has  four  dowers — 

1.  Impassibility,    or   incapacity  for   suffering 

pain,  disease,  or  corruption. 

2.  Grlory,  being  made  resplendent  as  the  sun, 

after  the  fashion  of  Christ's  transfi  guration 


JACQUES   MARCHANT.  165 

3.  Agility,  or   capacity  for  following   every 

impulse  of  the  will. 

4.  Subtlety,  or  capacity  for  penetrating  every 

where. 
Of  these  four  conditions  of  the  body  the  Apostle 
speaks  (1  Cor.  xv.  42 — 44),  It  is  sown  in  corrup- 
tion, it  is  raised  in  incorriiption  (impassible)  ;  it  is 
sown  in  dishonour ,  it  is  raised  in  glory ;  it  is  sown 
in  weakness,  it  is  raised  in  power  (agile ) ;  it  is 
sown  a  natural  body,  it  is  raised  a  spiritual  (subtle) 
hody, 

St.  Paul  takes  the  figure  of  a  grain  of  corn, 
which  is  sown  in  corruption,  decaying  in  the 
earth,  but  rises  in  incorruption ;  and  shows  that 
in  like  manner  will  the  body  rise  free  from  cor- 
ruption. 

The  body  is  sown  in  dishonour ;  however  noble 
and  illustrious  it  may  have  been  in  life,  it  be- 
comes an  object  of  loathing  in  the  tomb ;  but  it 
will  be  raised  glorious,  radiating  light. 

The  body  sown  in  weakness,  unable  to  resist 
the  attack  of  decay  and  the  worm,  will  be 
vigorous  and  free  on  the  Resurrection  morn, 
capable  of  performing  any  act  which  the  mind 
can  devise. 

The  body  sown  an  animal  or  natural  body, 
subject  to  vegetative  processes,  and  other  condi- 
tions of  nature,  at  the  Resurrection  will  be  free 
from  all  these  conditions. 
Proposition  3.  Bodies  here  deformed,  will  hereafter 
be  perfected. 


166  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

Marchant  reasons  that,  in  a  state  of  perfection, 
all  imperfection,  and  therefore  all  deformity,  will 
be  done  away. 

He  discusses  the  question  of  the  age  to  which 
all  bodies  will  seem  to  have  attained  at  the 
Resurrection ;  the  received  doctrine  being  that 
we  shall  all  come  .  .  .  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto 
the  measure  of  the  stature  (marg.  age)  of  the  ful- 
ness of  Christ.  (Eph.  iv.  13.) 
Lection  III.  The  circumstances  of  the  resurrection. 
Proposition  1.  The  trumpet  call  precedes  it. 

For  it  takes  place  in  a  moment,  in  the  twinkling 
of  an  eye,  at  the  last  trump — that  trump  being  the 
voice  of  the  archangel.  (1  Thess.  iv.  16.  Matt. 
xxiv.  31.) 

The  trumpet  of  old  called  to  a  solemn  assem- 
bly ;  it  was  a  sign  of  advance,  it  was  a  signal  of 
battle.  So  will  the  last  trump  call  the  Heaven 
from  above  and  the  earth,  that  God  may  judge  His 
people ;  it  will  be  the  sign  of  advance  to  the  elect 
into  their  kingdom,  it  will  be  the  signal  for  all 
creation  to  arm  itself  to  fight  against  the  ungodly. 

Do  you  ask  what  is  the  object  of  the  trumpet 
blast  ? 

1st.  It  is  to  call  the  angels  together,  to  pre- 
pare for  the  severance  of  good  and  bad. 

2nd.  It  is  to  wake  the  dead. 

3rd.  It  is  to  summon  the  elect  to  the  feast  of 
good  things  in  Heaven. 

4th.  It  is  to  terrify  the  wicked  and  announce 
to  them  their  doom. 


JACQUES   MARCHANT.  167 

Proposition  2.  The  locality  of  tlie  resurrection  is 
uncertain. 

It  is  supposed  by  many  that  it  will  take  place 
in  the  Yalley  of  Jehoshaphat,  where  good  and 
bad  will  be  gathered  together.  Others  suppose 
that  the  good  and  bad  will  be  gathered  in 
separate  spots.  Others  again  suppose  that  each 
individual  will  remain  by  the  grave  whence  he 
has  arisen. 
Proposition  3.  The  time  when  the  resurrection  will 
take  place  is  also  uncertain. 

Some  think  it  will  take  place  early  on  Easter 
Day,  at  the  rising  of  the  sun,  that  our  resurrec- 
tion may  be  made  in  all  points  like  that  of  our 
great  Head.  Others  think  that  it  will  take  place 
suddenly  at  night :  At  midnight  there  was  a  voice 
heard.  Behold,  the  Bridegroom  cometh ;  go  ye  out 
to  meet  Sim.  The  type  of  Israel  coming  out  of 
Egypt  points  also  to  midnight. 

But  the  place  and  the  time  knoweth  no  man, 
they  depend  on  the  Providence  of  God. 

I  confess  to  feeling  quite  at  a  loss  what  to  select  as  a 
specimen  of  Marchant's  refined  and  beautiful  writing. 
Every  page  contains  beauties,  and  it  is  hard  to  choose 
among  them. 

The  following  is  very  tender.  After  quoting  the 
text,  My  beloved  is  white  and  ruddy,  the  chiefest  among 
ten  thousand  (Cant.  v.  10),  he  breaks  forth  into  the 
following  passage:  "White  is  my  Beloved  in  His 
purity  and  His  innocence,   but    ruddy  in  His  burn- 


168 


JACQUES   MARCHANT. 


ing  charity,  through  which  He  shed  His  blood.  White 
is  He  in  His  nativity,  girded  about  with  virgin  flesh, 
but  ruddy  in  His  circumcision,  sprinkled  with  His  gore. 
White  at  the  transfiguration,  in  His  glistering  raiment, 
ruddy  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  bleeding  in  His  sweat. 
White  is  He  in  the  palace  of  Herod,  dressed  in  the 
white  robe,  ruddy  in  that  of  Pilate  in  the  purple 
garment.  White  upon  the  Cross,  in  the  water  which 
flowed  from  His  side,  but  ruddy,  bathed  wholly  in  His 
Blood.  White  is  He  in  the  Sacrament,  under  the  species 
of  bread,  ruddy  under  the  veil  of  wine.  White  in  His 
mercy,  ruddy  in  His  justice ;  white  in  His  Body  mystical, 
in  the  virgins,  but  ruddy  in  the  purpled  martyrs."  (114.) 

"  He  is  the  chiefest  among  ten  thousand^  through  His 
passion  exalted  above  all  creatures  and  above  all  glory 
of  the  elect. 

"  The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  leader  of  His 
people  Israel  to  the  Promised  Land,  by  the  pillar, 
the  rod,  and  the  Bed  Sea;  the  pillar,  forsooth,  at 
which  He  was  scourged,  the  rod  of  His  Cross,  and 
the  Bed  Sea  of  His  Blood. 

"  The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  the  great  High 
Priest  entering  into  the  holiest  of  all  with  His  own  blood. 

"  Tl^e  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  the  Mediator 
between  God  and  man,  ever  presenting  before  the 
Father  those  wounds  by  which  He  was  constituted 
Mediator. 

"  The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  the  Shepherd 
of  either  fold,  that  of  Jew  and  that  of  Gentile  ;  by  the 
pastoral  stafi*  of  His  Cross  reducing  them  into  one  fold 
under  one  Shepherd. 


JACQUES    MARCHANT.  169 

"  The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  Head  of  the 
militant  and  triumphant  Church. 

"The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  Head  and 
King  of  angels  and  men,  of  both  making  one  society, 
one  kingdom. 

"  The  chiefest  among  ten  thousand,  as  the  Judge  of 
living  and  dead."  (110.) 

I  make  no  apology  for  translating,  almost  entire,  the 
following  exquisite  passage  on  the  wound  in  our  Lord's 
side,  so  redolent  with  spiritual  fragrance,  so  rapturous 
in  heavenly  ardour : — 

"  Not  only  ought  the  dove  to  dwell  in  the  clefts  of  the 
rock,  but  she  should  also  flee  to  the  cavernam  macerice 
(English  vers.,  *  secret  places  of  the  stairs ')  :  that  is, 
the  wound  in  the  side.  .  .  .  There  make  thy  nest,  and 
enter,  0  dove !  therein  lurk  many  mysteries :  for  why 
was  that  side  opened  ? 

"First,  that  thou  mightest  enter  the  ark  with  the 
olive-bough,  the  symbol  of  peace.  Lo !  Christ  is  the 
ark,  and  the  wound  in  His  side  is  the  window  of 
the  ark  through  which  thou  may  est  enter ;  for  as 
the  dove  found  not  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  so 
dost  thou  wander  in  vain  with  the  raven,  and  wheel 
around  the  corpses  of  this  world  ;  thou  canst  not  find  thy 
rest,  save  in  the  heart  of  thy  Saviour.  There  has  He 
chosen  to  build  thee  a  home ;  there,  in  that  heart  burn- 
ing with  love,  to  plant  thee  a  flowery  Paradise,  in  which 
thou  mayest  delight,  and  exclaim.  It  is  good  for  us  to 
he  here.  *  How  good  ! '  says  Bernard,  *  how  good  to 
dwell  in  that  heart,  in  that  dug  field  ! '  0  Lord,  Thy 
heart  is  a  good  treasure,  for  which  I  will  surrender  all 

I 


170  JACQUES    MARCHANT. 

my  fancies,  all  the  desires  of  my  mind.  I  will  acquire 
it  for  myself,  casting  all  my  tliouglits  into  Thy  heart ; 
and  I  will  worship  toward  this  ark  of  the  covenant,  and 
praise  the  name  of  the  Lord 

"  If  then  at  any  time  thou  feelest  want  and  lukewarm- 
ness,  or  dryness,  then  turn  thy  heart  to  the  Lord,  turn 
to  the  heart  of  thy  Lord  ;  seek  it  on  the  cross.  His  couch 
of  love.  There  wilt  thou  find  the  way  to  His  very  heart 
open ;  by  that  broad  gate  of  His  side,  by  that  door  of 
piety,  thou  may  est  enter.  There  join  heart  to  heart, 
that  thou  mayest  become  partaker  of  light,  of  life,  of 
flame,  and  of  that  peace  which  He  shall  speak  unto  His 
people,  and  to  His  saints,  that  they  turn  not  again. 

*^  Secondly,  He  c:ose  that  His  side  should  be  opened, 
because  to  the  Redeemer  it  was  not  enough  that  His 
whole  body  was  bloody  with  the  rods,  that  His  hands 
and  feet  were  purpled  by  the  nails,  but  He  desired  to 
shed  forth,  by  the  spear,  as  token  of  His  unbounded 
love,  that  blood  which  still  lingered  about  the  heart, 
and  which  neither  thorns  nor  scourge  had  extracted. 
Wherefore  He  was  w^ounded,  not  so  much  by  the 
spear,  as  by  love,  or  if  you  prefer  it,  by  both  the 
lance  and  love.  Whence  it  is  said  twice.  Thou  hast 
wounded  My  heaH,  My  sister.  My  spouse;  thou  hast 
v)ounded  My  heart  !  And  do  thou  reply,  *  Wound 
Thou  my  heart,  my  Bridegroom ;  wound  Thou  my 
heart !  wound  it  with  compassion,  wound  it  with  love  ; 
with  these  twin  arrows  from  Thy  bow  pierce  through  my 
heart.  Twice  did  Moses  smite  the  rock,  twice  do  Thou 
smite  this  stony  heart,  that  from  it  may  stream,  if  not 
blood,  yet  bitter  tears/ 


JACQUES   MARCHANT.  171 

*'  Thirdly,  He  chose  to  show  us  the  place  of  our  re- 
generation. Hence  there  flowed  forth  both  water  and 
blood,  signs  of  Baptism  and  the  Eucharist,  which  re- 
generate us  to  God.  And  thus  is  it  said,  Thy  daughters 
shall  he  nursed  at  Thy  side  (Isa.  Ix.  4),  O  Christ !  for 
Thou  regeneratest  us  by  the  blood  and  water  streaming 
from  Thy  side. 

"  Fourthly,  consider  that,  although  the  lance  gave  no 
pain  to  the  Saviour,  yet  was  it  keen,  for  it  wounded 
with  cruel  pang  the  heart  of  the  Mother.  For  her 
heart  was  bound  up  with  the  heart  of  her  Son ;  and  to 
this  the  prophet  seems  to  refer  when  he  says.  Supra 
dolorem  vulnerum  meorum  addiderunt.  (Ps.  Ixix.  27.) 
But  in  conclusion,  I  repeat — Arise,  0  dove  !  enter  in, 

0  love  !  for  here  is  the  door  by  which  thou  shalt  pass 
to  the  marriage-feast  of  thy  Bridegroom  ;  for  here  is 
the  window  of  love  which  desires  to  enkindle  thee 
also ;  for  here  is  the  furnace  streaming  forth  with 
mercy.  Gathering  together  all  thy  evil  affections, 
thy  sins,  thy  negligences,  cast  them  into  that  furnace 
of  love,  that  there  they  may  be  consumed.  There  ex- 
claim with  Thomas,  My  Lord,  and  my  God  !  and  with 
the  Psalmist,   This  shall  be  my  rest  for  ever ;  here  will 

1  dwell,  for  I  have  a  delight  therein.  For  there  is  the 
place  to  live,  there  is  the  place  to  die." 

In  like  manner  does  Marchant  exclaim :  "  Spare, 
0  cruel  nails,  0  spare  those  sacred  feet,  which  have 
never  walked  in  the  way  of  sinners.  Come  rather  and 
pierce  my  heart ;  pierce  my  hard  heart  with  the  piercing 
of  penitence,  that  ye  may  draw  from  it  the  salty  tears 
of  contrition  ;  for,  from  the  time  when  ye  were  sprinkled 

I  2 


172  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

with  the  Saviour's  blood,  ye  have  had  power  to  heal  the 
wounds  of  the  mind. 

"  Yet  would  not  the  Saviour  spare  Himself  these  nails, 
that  He  might  make  satisfaction  for  all  offences  com- 
mitted by  our  feet  walking  in  the  way  of  sinners,  when 
we  went  astray  like  the  lost  sheep ;  and  that  He  might 
merit  by  this  price  and  these  pangs  to  guide  our  feet 
into  the  way  of  peace. 

"  It  was  not  sufficient  for  Him  to  have  endured  so 
much  labour,  sweat,  and  weariness,  whilst  seeking 
His  wandering  sheep ;  but  He  desired  also  that  His 
feet  should  at  length  be  pierced,  not  with  the  thorns 
only,  but  also  with  the  nails." 

On  the  words.  He  stood  in  the  midst  of  tliemy  he 
remarks :  "  There  then  were  the  disciples  gathered  in 
terror,  in  error,  all  had  lost  their  faith,  all  wavered, 
doubting  of  the  resurrection.  All,  the  Virgin  excepted, 
had  lost  the  light  of  faith,  as  is  represented  by  the 
Church  in  her  Office  for  Holy  Week  (i.  e.  Tenebrae), 
when  fifteen  candles  are  extinguished,  one  alone  being 
excepted  and -allowed  to  remain  alight.  This  indicates 
the  eleven  Apostles  with  the  three  women  losing  the  light 
of  faith,  which  remained  in  the  Virgin  alone,  of  whom  it 
might  truly  be  said.  Her  candle  goeth  not  out  by  night. 
These,  then,  being  gathered  together,  Christ  was  present 
in  the  midst,  though  the  doors  were  shut ;  for  just  as 
He  issued  from  the  Virgin's  womb  leaving  her  still 
virgin,  as  He  passed  through  the  unmoved  stone  of  the 
sepulchre,  so  now  did  He  enter  to  His  disciples  with- 
out impediment,  for  nothing  can  hinder  the  transit  of  a 
glorious  body :  He  stood  in  the  midst  of  them  !  Stood, 


JACQUES   MARCHANT.  173 

as  a  pastor  in  the  midst  of  his  flock,  gathering  them  to 
him ;  as  a  leader  in  the  midst  of  his  soldiers,  en- 
couraging them  ;  as  the  sun  in  the  midst  of  the  stars, 
illumining  them  ;  as  the  heart  in  the  midst  of  the 
body,  vivifying  it ;  as  the  tree  of  life  in  the  midst  of 
Paradise  amongst  the  elect  trees  ;  as  the  candlestick  in 
the  midst  of  the  house,  lighting  it  and  dispelling  its 
gloom  ;  as  the  column  in  the  midst  of  the  building, 
sustaining  it. 

"And  this  word  stood  has  its  special  significance, 
denoting  the  resurrection.  For  before  the  resurrec- 
tion, when  He  bore  the  burden  of  our  sins.  He  is  de- 
scribed as  at  one  time  lying  in  the  manger,  at  another 
as  seated  weary  by  the  well,  and  then  as  prostrate  with 
His  face  to  the  earth  praying,  upon  the  mountain,  or  as 
bowed  down  and  crying  to  the  Father  in  the  garden,  or 
again  as  stooping  under  the  weight  of  the  cross  as  He 
ascended  Calvary,  whilst  on  the  cross  itself  He  is 
spoken  of  as  bowing  His  head  to  give  up  the  ghost. 
All  which  attitudes  of  the  body  denote  the  weight  of 
our  sins  with  which  He  was  burdened.  But  now,  that 
burden  is  shaken  off  in  His  resurrection,  for  He  has 
drowned  it  in  the  abyss  of  His  blood,  and  so  rightly  is 
He  spoken  of  as  standing  in  the  midst." 

Jacques  Marchant  thus  paraphrases  the  110th  Psalm  ; 
"  At  the  ascension  it  was  said  unto  Him,  Sit  Thou  on 
My  right  hand,  until  I  make  Thine  enemies  Thy  foot- 
stool. That  is,  Do  Thou,  who  art  exalted  above  all 
creatures,  share  with  Me  My  kingdom  until  all  Thine 
enemies  are  subjected  unto  Thee,  till  the  kingdom  of 
the  predestinate  is  filled,  and  Thy  victory  has  attained 

I  3 


174  JACQUES   MARCHANT. 

to  its  perfection.  And  here  by  the  fulfilling  of  the 
kingdom  of  predestination,  and  the  conquering  of  foes, 
and  the  extension  of  empire,  this  is  signified,  that  in 
the  consummation  of  the  age.  He  will  return  again  into 
the  world,  that  the  subjection  of  every  thing  to  Him 
may  be  made  manifest  in  all  the  world.  Wherefore 
the  Psalmist  adds,  The  Lord  shall  send  the  rod  of 
Thy  power  out  of  Sion  :  be  Thou  ruler y  even  in  the  midst 
among  Thine  enemies.  That  is,  the  sceptre  of  Thy 
royal  power,  the  sceptre  of  strength,  shalt  Thou  begin 
to  extend  and  pass  on  from  the  city  and  mount  of 
Sion,  even  unto  the  ends  of  the  earth,  by  Thy  Apostolic 
messengers  ;  so  that  Thou  mayest  rule  even  in  the 
midst  of  Thy  enemies  and  false  brethren,  Jews,  heathen, 
and  heretics.  In  the  end  of  the  age,  however.  Thy  king- 
dom will  be  exalted  perfectly  over  Thine  enemies,  when 
Thou  shalt  send  forth  the  sceptre  of  virtue,  the  banner 
of  Thy  cross  out  of  the  Heavenly  Sion,  that  Thy  foes 
may  be  entirely  subjected  beneath  Thy  feet.  Then  he 
adds  :  In  the  day  of  Thy  power  shall  the  people  offer  Thee 
freeivill  offerings  unth  an  holy  worship,  when  the  king- 
dom will  be  Thine,  and  Thine  the  only  principality." 
The  Yulgate  varies  so  much  from  our  English  Version 
in  this  third  verse,  that  Marchant's  paraphrase  cannot 
apply  to  it,  and  I  shall  therefore  pass  on  to  the  fifth 
verse :  "  The  Lord  upon  Thy  right  hand  shall  tvound 
even  kings  in  the  day  of  His  wrath.  Christ  our  Lord 
sitting  at  Thy  right  hand  shall  break  all  the  power  of 
kings  who  have  persecuted  the  Church.  Then  shall 
the  Neroes,  Maximinians,  and  Deciuses  be  thrust  down 
into  hell.     He  shall  judge  among  the  heathen ;  He  shall 


JACQUES    MARCH  ANT.  175 

fill  the  places  with  the  dead  bodies :  He  shall  then  ex- 
ercise judgment  over  all  nations,  and,  having  con- 
demned the  wicked,  shall  perfect  and  consummate  their 
last  extermination.  Then  shall  the  places  of  hell  be 
filled  with  impious  men,  and  with  devils  thrust  down 
thither  and  there  enclosed;  and  that  because  jET^  shall 
smite  in  sunder  the  heads  over  divers  countries,  breaking 
down  the  proud,  and  bringing  them  into  confusion 
before  all  the  world. 

"  And  would  you  know  why  He  is  given  such  power 
to  judge  the  nations  and  trample  upon  kings  and 
haughty  men?  Se  shall  drink  of  the  hrook  in  the 
way  :  therefore  shall  He  lift  up  His  head.  Because,  for- 
sooth, in  this  way  and  mortal  life,  which  glides  by  as 
a  brook.  He  drank  the  turbid  water,  bearing  our  infir- 
mities, by  His  Passion  descending  into  the  very  depths 
of  the  stream ;  therefore,  because  of  this  so  great  hu- 
mility, hath  God  highly  exalted  Him,  making  Him  the 
Judge  of  all. 

"  If  indeed  in  His  first  Advent  it  was  cried,  Blessed 
is  He  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord ;  Hosanna 
in  the  highest !  how  much  more  in  that  His  second 
triumphal  coming  will  it  be  cried  by  angels,  by  the 
elect,  by  kings,  by  priests,  by  people,  by  children,  ay ! 
by  all  creatures.  Let  the  Heavens  rejoice,  and  let  the 
earth  he  glad:  let  the  sea  make  a  noise,  and  all  that 
therein  is.  Let  the  field  be  joyful,  and  all  that  is  in  it ; 
then  shall  all  the  trees  of  the  wood  rejoice  before  the  Lord, 
for  He  cometh,  for  He  cometh,  to  judge  the  earth. 

"We  too,  considering  that  time  of  triumph,  shall  ex- 
claim to  our  King  and  Saviour  with  glad  accord,  *  Eeign 

i4 


176  JACQUES   MARCHAXT. 

even  in  the  midst  among  Thine  enemiesj  Eeign,  Thou 
Son  of  David,  setting  up  Thy  throne  above  all  monarchs ! 
Eeign,  Thou  peaceful  King,  trampling  under  foot  all  the 
kingdom  of  Satan !  Reign,  Thou  Son  of  Mary,  in  the 
midst  of  heretics  and  blasphemers  !  Reign,  Thou  Gali- 
laean,  in  the  midst  of  infidels  once  rebels  !  Reign,  Thou 
Nazarene,  in  the  midst  of  Julians  and  persecutors ! 
Reign,  Thou  innocent  Lamb,  in  the  midst  of  ravening 
wolves !  Reign,  Thou  Lamb  which  was  slain,  in  the 
midst  of  angels  and  all  the  elect ! '  I  heard  the  voice 
of  many  angels  round  about  the  throne  and  the  beasts  and 
the  elders,  saying  with  a  loud  voice,  Worthy  is  the  Lamb 
that  was  slain  to  receive  poiver,  and  riches,  and  wisdom,  and 
strength,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  blessing.  And  every 
creature  which  is  in  Heaven,  and  on  earth,  and  under  the 
earth,  and  such  as  are  in  the  sea,  and  all  that  are  in  them, 
heard  I  saying.  Blessing,  and  honour,  and  glory,  and  power, 
he  unto  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne,  and  unto  the 
Lamb  for  ever  and  ever.^* 


JOHN  OSORIUS. 


John  Osorius,  a  Spaniard  of  the  diocese  of  Burgos, 
entered  the  novitiate  of  the  Society  of  Jesus  in  1558, 
at  the  early  age  of  sixteen*  He  taught  moral  theology, 
but  gave  himself  up  more  especially  to  preaching,  his 
talents  in  that  line  soon  manifesting  themselves.  He 
preached  often  before  the  Court,  and  was  selected  to  de- 
liver orations  on  various  public  occasions.  For  instance, 
he  preached  twice  at  the  fitting  out  of  the  Armada,  and 
again  on  its  discomfiture.  His  three  sermons,  entitled 
Cum  nostri  redirent  ah  Anglia  re  infecta,  will  be  found  in 
the  fourth  volume  of  his  collected  sermons.  He  was 
select  preacher  on  the  anniversary  of  the  death  of  St. 
Ignatius  Loyola,  the  founder  of  his  order,  and  also  on 
the  occasion  of  the  death  of  the  king.  He  died  at  Me- 
dina, aged  fifty-two,  in  the  year  1594. 

His  sermons  have  been  published  several  times. 

Concionum  Joannes  Osorii  ;  Antverpiae,  1594-5,  3 
vols.  8vo.     Ibid.,  5  vols.,  1597,  8vo. 

Concionum  J.  Osorii ;  Colon.  Hierat.  1600,  12mo., 
5  vols. ;  Lugduni,  Pillehotte,  1601,  8vo. ;  Yenetiis, 
1601,  fol. ;  Parisiis,  M.  Sonnium,  1601,  8vo.,  5  vols. ; 

i5 


178  JOHN  OSORIUS. 

Yenetlis,  1604,  4to.,  5  vols. ;  Monast.  WestplialisB,  1622, 
8vo.  5  vols. 

R.  P.  Osorii  Concionum  Epitome  ;  Colon.,  1602,  Svo., 
3  vols. ;  De  Sanctis,  ibid.,  1613,  Svo. 

John  Osorius  was  a  preacher  of  a  high  order.  He 
was  eminently  Scriptural,  and  thoroughly  practical.  He 
neither  wasted  his  efforts  on  the  discussion  of  profitless 
school  questions,  nor  wearied  his  hearers  by  abstruse 
disquisitions  on  points  of  Canon  law.  His  matter  is 
always  solid,  and  his  method  sound  and  clear.  A  man 
of  refined  taste  and  lively  imagination,  he  could  render 
his  discourses  attractive  to  both  educated  and  unedu- 
cated. He  seldom  breaks  into  a  torrent  of  eloquence, 
like  De  Barzia,  but  his  style  is  polished  and  graceful. 
He  had  none  of  the  fire  of  the  Bishop  of  Cadiz,  but  in 
his  heart  burned  the  pure  flame  of  a  tempered  zeal,  not 
raging  forth  as  a  furnace,  dazzling  and  scorching  all 
around,  but  calmly  glowing  in  unruffled  peace,  un- 
noticed perhaps  in  the  glare  of  day,  but  steadily  beam- 
ing as  a  guiding  star  to  the  wanderer  in  the  night. 

In  one  point  he  certainly  resembles  his  countryman 
De  Barzia,  viz.  in  his  accurate  Biblical  knowledge. 
But  the  use  he  made  of  Scripture  was  difierent  to  that 
made  by  the  Bishop,  as  his  audience  was  very  difierent 
from  that  to  which  the  Prelate  addressed  his  Mission 
Sermons.  Holy  Scripture  was  the  spiritual  food  of  this 
Jesuit  preacher,  and  his  discourses  prove  his  intimate 
acquaintance  with  every  portion  of  Grod's  Word.  His 
discourses  do  not  contain,  as  do  so  many  .modern  ser- 
mons, crude  and  undigested  lumps  of  Scripture,  clumsily 
pieced   and   awkwardly   inserted  to   distend   the    dull 


JOHN   OSORIUS.  179 

oration  to  its  conventional  limits,  but  the  words  of 
Inspiration  float  lightly  and  fragrantly  on  the  stream 
of  simple  eloquence,  as  strands  of  new-mown  grass  and 
cut  meadow  flowers  on  the  calm  brook  which  softly 
glides  past  the  field  where  the  mowers  mow  the  haj. 

If  De  Barzia  roused  long-dead  consciences,  waking 
them  from  their  sepulchres  with  note  like  a  trumpet, 
bringing  them  forth  bound  hand  and  foot  in  the  corpse- 
clothes  of  evil  habits,  and  delivering  them  over  to  the 
confessors  to  be  loosed  and  let  go,  Osorius  quickened 
the  consciences  but  just  dead,  with  still  small  voice, 
taking  them  as  it  were  by  the  hand  and  lifting  them 
up  with  tenderness,  that  he  might  restore  them  to  their 
parents — to  their  God,  who  was  to  them  a  Father,  to  the 
Church,  which  was  to  them  a  Mother. 

But  with  all  these  rare  merits,  Osorius  had  his  de- 
fects. His  sermons  are  wanting  in  arrangement  and  in 
unity  of  design.  He  preached  on  the  Gospel  for  the  day, 
and  aimed  rather  at  giving  a  running  commentary  on 
the  selected  passage  of  Scripture,  than  at  elaborating  one 
text  and  concentrating  his  powers  upon  its  application. 
Hence,  each  of  his  sermons,  which  are  very  long,  may  well 
be  broken  into  six  or  eight  short  discourses  with  separate 
points,  but  when  preached  in  their  entirety  the  eflcct 
is  that  of  a  surfeit.  Nothing  can  be  better  than  the 
food  he  provides,  but  it  is  in  too  great  abundance,  and 
it  is  too  varied ;  briefly,  in  his  sermons  there  is  what  the 
French  call  an  embarras  de  richesses. 

There  is  this  excuse  to  be  made  for  Osorius,  that  he 
did  but  follow  in  the  wake  of  the  Patristic  and  Medi- 
aeval preachers,  whose  public  orations  consisted  almost 

i6 


180  JOHN   OSORIUS. 

invariably  of  Scripture  expositions,  partaking  more  of 
the  character  of  our  modern  Bible-class  lectures  than 
our  set  sermons;  and  it  was  only  bold  men  like  De 
Barzia,  who  set  all  conventionalities  at  defiance,  that 
originated  the  class  of  sermon  now  recognized  as  the 
normal  type  of  a  pulpit  discourse.  Osorius,  however, 
could  divest  himself  of  the  trammels  of  custom  when  he 
chose,  and  he  has  left  some  notable  specimens  of  ser- 
mons which  have  but  one  point  and  subject,  in  his 
fourth  volume ;  and  I  very  much  question  whether  anj 
more  noble  and  more  vigorous  have  ever  been  com- 
posed than  those  written  by  John  Osorius,  the  Jesuit, 
on  the  Four  Last  Things,  the  Three  Foes  of  Man,  and 
the  Seven  Last  Words. 

Osorius  seldom  relates  anecdotes,  and  his  sermons  are 
almost  entirely  free  from  those  stories  which  preachers 
of  his  age  delighted  in  introducing  to  illustrate  their 
subjects  ;  but,  in  their  place,  he  brings  forward  similes 
to  an  extraordinary  extent.  His  sermons  are  studded 
with  them,  and  his  similes  are  almost  invariably  grace- 
ful aiid  neat.  It  may  be  questioned  whether  he  does 
not  somewhat  overdo  it,  when  one  sermon  contains 
fifteen  similes.  Yet  these  are  so  beautiful  that  we  could 
ill  spare  one.  Perhaps  we  are  too  critical  in  requiring 
all  sermons  to  be  cut  to  the  same  shape ;  perhaps  the 
beauty  of  the  wood  hyacinth  may  consist  in  the  multi- 
tude of  its  azure  bells,  and  the  splendour  of  the  tulip 
would  be  lost  if  it  grew  in  a  bunch. 

But  the  reader  shall  judge  for  himself.  I  will  give 
him  a  string  of  similes  from  the  Trinity  sermons  of 
Osorius. 


JOHN    OSORIUS.  181 

"Aristotle  says  that  as  the  sun,  most  visible  in  itself, 
cannot  be  contemplated  without  difficulty  by  our  eyes, 
on  account  of  their  weakness ;  so  God,  of  supreme  entity 
and  perfection,  can  hardly  be  grasped  by  us,  through 
the  imperfection  of  our  intellect." 

"  When  my  father  and  mother  forsake  me^  the  Lord 
taketh  me  up,  says  the  Psalmist ;  and  Israel  exclaimed. 
Make  us  gods  to  go  before  us.  For  without  God  we 
have  not  power  to  advance.  What  will  he  say  to  this, 
who  enters  on  a  state  of  life  without  God  to  lead  him, 
who  undertakes  hard  matters  forgetful  of  God  ?  As 
the  ivy  trails  along  the  earth  when  it  finds  not  a  tree, 
to  which  it  may  cling  and  by  which  it  may  ascend, 
so  does  the  soul  lie  prostrate  till  it  has  found  God,  to 
whom  it  may  cling  as  to  its  beloved ;  and  having  found 
Him,  by  Him  ascend,  gomg  on  from  grace  to  grace.^^ 

"  The  Heavens  declare  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  firma- 
ment shoioeth  His  handiwork  :  they  all  point  wondrously 
to  their  Creator,  showing  themselves  to  be  creatures 
fashioned  by  His  hands. 

"  Cicero  observes  :  If  when  travelling  you  came  sud- 
denly in  a  desert  upon  some  magnificent  palace,  such 
as  that  of  Solomon,  and  were  to  ask  how  it  came  thither, 
and  the  answer  were  made  that  a  mountain  had  fallen, 
and  that  its  ruins  had  shaped  themselves,  somehow,  into 
this  great  mansion,  you  would  laugh  them  to  scorn 
who  asserted  this,  for  the  house  shows  plainly  the 
handiwork  of  an  artificer — and  that  he  was  a  famous 
artificer  to  boot — who  thus  ranged  all  in  such  perfect 
order,  and  this,  you  would  say,  was  self-evident.  So, 
too,  he  who  considers  the  workmanship  of  this  world 


182  JOHN  osomus. 

with  attention, — tlie  garden  of  earth,  the  abyss  of  sea,  the 
heavens  wondrously  adorned,  the  variety  of  stars,  their 
varied  and  yet  harmonious  motions, — he  will  say  that  it 
is  manifest  that  some  master  artificer  has  arranged 
them,  and  that  their  conjunction  cannot  be  fortuitous." 

"  Look  first  at  the  beauteous  image  of  the  soul,  and 
gather  from  it  that  it  has  a  divine  artificer.  If  you  saw 
a  boy  holding  a  charming  image  in  his  hand,  and  you 
asked  him.  Whose  is  this  image  ?  who  fashioned  it  ? 
if  he  were  to  reply,  I  made  it ;  you  would  at  once  say, 
That  is  not  true,  for  it  is  a  masterpiece  of  art.  So,  too, 
the  wondrous  power  of  our  souls,  and  their  wondrous 
perfection,  point  to  a  Heavenly  artificer." 

"  Who,  then,  is  God ?  He  is  One  and  Three:  one  in 
nature,  one  in  wisdom,  one  in  goodness ;  but  three  in 
Person:  Three  Persons  but  One  God,  one  wise,  one 
powerful,  one  good. 

"  How  then  three  Persons  and  not  three  Gods  ?  I  and 
thou  are  two  persons,  but  one  in  nature  and  species. 

"How  two  persons  with  one  nature  ?  Because  in  me 
there  is  that  which  is  not  in  thee,  and  this  constitutes 
difierence  in  personality. 

"  But  thou  sayest,  What  is  there  in  the  Father  which 
is  not  in  the  Son  ? 

"  That  thou  mayest  understand,  take  this  illustration. 

"  I  have  invented  a  science,  entirely  of  myself ;  this 
science  I  teach  thee ;  thou  and  I  communicate  it  to  a 
third.  The  same  science  is  in  all  three ;  one  of  us 
knows  nothing  which  the  other  knows  not ;  one  knows 
as  much  as  all  the  three.  Yet  is  there  this  difierence 
between  us,  I  have  the  knowledge  of  myself,  having 


JOHN    OSORIUS. 


183 


received  it  of  none ;  in  thee  it  is  derived  from  me ;  in 
the  third  it  proceeds  from  thee  and  me.  JS'ow  suppose 
that,  instead  of  a  science,  this  were  my  nature  which  I 
gave  to  thee,  and  which  we  two  communicated  to  the 
third ;  then  should  we  three  be  one  in  nature,  and  yet 
with  the  diversity  I  have  specified. 

"  Thus,  as  I  have  said,  is  it  with  our  God,  in  whom 
it  is  the  same  to  be,  to  know,  to  be  able,  &c.  This 
wisdom  and  nature  is  in  the  Father  self-derived,  re- 
ceived of  none.  It  is  in  the  Son  also,  the  same,  but 
received  by  intelligence  from  the  Father.  It  is  in  the 
Holy  Ghost,  but  proceeding  from  the  Father  and  the 
Son  by  love :  therefore  the  Persons  are  three,  but  there 
are  not  three  Gods  nor  three  Lords,  for  the  nature,  and 
the  wisdom,  and  the  power,  and  the  goodness  are  one, 
but  in  three  Persons ;  therefore  there  is  but  one  God, 
one  Lord,  one  Wise." 

"God  is  the  abyss  of  being,  as  signifies  His  name 
Jehovah ;  in  Him  are  all  perfections,  of  which  perfec- 
tions each  is  infinite,  all  are  One.  What  then  is  my 
God  ?  Ask  every  creature,  and  let  them  show  you  their 
God,  and  tell  you  what  He  is;  not  that  each  can  declare 
Him  perfectly,  but  each  in  part.  Does  it  not  happen 
to  you  sometimes,  as  you  walk  abroad,  that  you  light 
upon  a  brook,  and  say,  I  will  trace  it  to  its  source, 
and  see  whence  this  streamlet  flows?  Do  you  now 
act  thus,  and  you  will  attain  to  your  God.  Mark  what 
is  good  in  the  creatures  you  behold,  in  the  song  of 
birds,  in  the  beauty  of  flowers,  in  the  wealth  of  metals, 
in  the  sweetness  of  meats ;  these  are  but  rills  proceed- 
ing from  God  the  abounding  Fount;    all  these  utter 


184  JOHN    OSORIIJS. 

the  things  which  are  in  God ;  for  all  creatures  are  but 
voices  manifesting  Him." 

Yet  we  must  not  rest  in  them.  "It  has  happened 
that  painters  have  pictured  fruit  with  such  accuracy 
that  birds  have  come  out  of  the  sky  thinking  them 
real,  in  order  to  feed  upon  them ;  but  finding  them 
to  be  painted,  and  that  there  is  no  food  in  them,  they 
fly  away  to  seek  their  true  sustenance.  The  Divine 
painter  has  traced  with  His  brush  in  His  creatures  the 
beauties  which  live  in  Himself,  and  in  them  they  seem 
to  live.  Yet  are  they  but  figures,  not  verities,  for  the 
fashion  of  this  world  passeth  aivay.  Would  you  know 
how  to  act,  knowing  that  these  are  but  pictures  and 
not  realities  ?  Act  as  the  bird,  which  finding  no  food 
in  the  painting  seeks  its  real  meat  elsewhere.  Mark 
this,  you  will  find  in  creation  no  true  food,  no  satiety, 
no  repose;  mark  this  and  fly  away  to  your  God,  He 
is  very  good.  He  is  true  food,  in  Him  alone  is  repose." 

"When  you  hear  sweet  harmony,  you  say,  I  hear 
musicians,  though  you  see  them  not;  so  seeing  the 
harmony  of  creation,  acknowledge  God  its  source. 
In  God  are  all  perfections.  Take  the  opal.  Look  at 
it  fixedly  from  one  point ;  it  is  white  as  snow,  and 
you  see  nought  save  whiteness  in  it.  Turn  a  little 
aside ;  it  flashes  out  in  flames  as  a  carbuncle.  Look 
from  another  point,  it  glows  a  rich  crimson  as  the 
ruby;  again,  from  another  point  it  is  all  green  as 
the  emerald.  Lo !  you  have  an  image  of  God,  that 
most  precious  gem,  to  win  which  we  must  sell  all  we 
have.  He  is  one,  yet  manifold.  Moses  beheld  God, 
and  He  was  to  him  like  to  the  carbuncle,  a  burning 


JOHN    OSORTUS.  185 

fire  :  The  Lord  thy  God  is  a  consuming  fire.  That  same 
God  did  David  beliold :  The^  Lord  is  full  of  compassion 
and  mercy:  long-suffering  and  of  great  goodness.  To 
him  then  was  He  not  all  white  ?  Isaiah  beheld  him  : 
Wherefore  art  Thou  red  in  Thine  apparel  ?  and  seeing 
Him  executing  vengeance,  He  was  like  to  the  ruby. 
John  beheld  Him,  and  a  rainbow  round  about  the  throne, 
in  sight  like  unto  an  emerald.  Lo !  what  variety,  and 
yet  what  unity  ! " 

One  of  the  most  curious  ideas  of  Osorius  is  the 
following.  He  says  that  as  be  lies  in  bed  he  bears 
the  stroke,  stroke,  of.  his  beart ;  and  it  sounds  to  him 
as  though  within  were  two  wood- cutters  engaged  night 
and  day  in  hewing  down  a  tree.  I^or  am  I  wrong 
in  thinking  so,  he  continues,  for  Flux  and  Eeflux  are 
engaged  every  hour  in  laying  their  axes  to  the  root  of 
the  tree  of  life.  In  another  sermon  he  speaks  of  men 
fretting  over  the  loss  of  worldly, goods  and  neglecting 
their  eternal  inheritance  as  resembling  the  little  boy 
who  has  built  a  mud  castle,  and  who  weeps  when  a 
passer-by  overthrows  it  with  his  foot,  though  he  cares 
nothing  that  a  lawsuit  is  going  on  at  the  time  by 
which  a  large  inheritance  is  being  wrested  from  him. 

The  following  is  singularly  beautiful,  to  my  mind. 
Osorius  is  speaking  of  the  dower  Christ  has  given  to 
His  Church.  He  says,  that  as  when  a  traveller  marries 
a  wife  in  a  far  country  he  gives  her  a  few  presents, 
but  says  to  her,  0  my  beloved,  when  we  come  home 
to  m^y  own  country,  where  all  my  wealth  and  property 
are,  then  you  shall  have  ten  thousand  times  better 
presents ;  so  does  Christ  act  with  His  Church.     Here, 


186  JOHN   OSORIUS. 

in  the  far  country  of  this  earth,  He  gives  her  a  few  gifts 
and  graces,  but  when  He  leads  her  home  to  His 
heavenly  habitation,  He  >>ill  crown  her  with  endless 
glory. 

On  the  subject  of  the  Ascension,  he  observes,  very 
gracefully,  that  when  a  fleet  is  tossing  on  the  sea,  if 
one  vessel  enters  the  port  in  safety,  the  others  pluck 
up  courage  to  follow.  When  the  soldiers  see  their 
leader  mount  the  wall  of  the  besieged  city,  they,  though 
below,  are  stirred  to  press  onward  too. 

And  again,  speaking  of  Christ  resuming  His  seat  in 
Heaven,  he  says  that  when  a  costly  gem  is  given  to  a 
king,  he  sets  it  in  a  golden  ring,  which  is  exquisitely 
wrought,  and  which  seemed  a  miracle  of  perfection 
before  the  insertion  of  the  gem.  But  when  the  jewel 
is  set,  its  glory  eclipses  all  the  graving  of  the  ring. 
So  was  Heaven  beauteous  without  Christ,  beauteous  as 
the  setting,  but  now  the  precious  gem,  for  whom  all 
was  made,  is  again  in  His  place,  and  eclipses  all  other 
glories  in  His  own  effulgent  beauty. 

"  The  joy  of  Heaven  must  have  been  great,  and  the 
cause  of  the  joy  is  manifest.  Heaven  has  received  its 
sun,  enlightening  it  more  than  all  its  stars.  It  has 
gotten  its  precious  gem  adorning  that  ring  of  eternity 
more  than  its  fine  gold,  more  than  all  the  comely  forms 
thereon  engraved.  But,  earth,  how  canst  thou  rejoice 
this  day,  deprived  of  the  sun  which  late  illumined 
thee?  When  the  sun  shines  in  this  hemisphere,  all 
things  rejoice  receiving  light  from  it;  but  when  it 
retires  to  the  other  hemisphere,  those  things  which  are 
in  it  begin  their  rejoicing,  whilst  those  which  are  in 


JOHN   OSORIUS.  187 

ours  are  veiled  in  darkness,  and  droop  in  gloom  and 
tears.  When  the  ark  of  God  was  brought  to  Beth- 
shemesh,  that  is,  the  house  of  the  sun,  the  calves  of  the 
cows  which  drew  it  were  shut  up  at  home,  and  they 
lowed  because  the  mothers  which  gave  them  milk  were 
away.  This  day  is  the  ark  of  God,  which  has  been 
held  captive  in  the  house  of  this  world,  brought  back 
into  Heaven,  the  true  house  of  the  sun.  And  we,  as 
the  calves,  remaining  shut  up  in  this  world's  tabernacle, 
without  our  nourishment  from  the  breast  and  wounds 
of  Christ,  how  shall  we  do  otherwise  than  low  and 
lament  ?  " 

This  beautiful  and  quaint  passage  will  show  how 
Osorius  finds  illustration  in  Scripture.  I  translate  a 
few  more  specimens  of  his  style. 

^'Behold  how  He  loved  Mm.  St.  Thomas  explains 
this  passage  admirably  when  he  says,  quoting  the 
wise  man,  Nothing  doth  countervail  a  faithful  friendy 
and  his  excellency  is  invaluable,  for  a  faithful  friend  is 
worthy  of  love  :  and  yet,  a  faithful  man  who  can  find  f 
He  is  a  faithful  friend  who  is  stable  in  friendship ;  not 
forgetting  a  first  friend  when  a  new  one  arrives,  nor 
when  exalted  in  prosperity  forgetful  of  the  friend  in 
poverty,  nor  despising  the  friend  who  is  cast  down. 

"  God  will  be  found  the  most  faithful  friend,  in  that 
He  never  forgets  former  friends  for  the  sake  of  new 
ones ;  but  those  whom  He  chose  before  time  was,  these 
will  He  love  in  eternity,  when  time  is  no  more. 
Neither  does  the  addition  of  new  friends  make  the 
former  less  the  friends  of  God,  but  rather  the  more 
grateful  is   it   to   Him  that  many  should  love  Him. 


188  JOHN   OSORTUS. 

Nor  is  Christ  like  the  chief  butler,  who,  when  things 
went  well  with  him,  forgot  Joseph ;  but  though  the  Lord 
he  high,  yet  hath  He  respect  unto  the  lowly.  Christ, 
when  mortal,  chose  men  to  be  His  friends ;  when  made 
immortal.  He  called  them  His  brethren.  Go  to  My 
hrethren,  and  say  unto  them,  &c.  (John  xx.  17).  Nor 
is  the  friendship  of  Christ  capable  of  change  through 
loss  of  the  friend,  as  is  evident  from  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  St.  John.  Now  Jesus  loved  Martha,  and  her 
sister,  and  Lazarus,  when  they  were  hale  and  sound. 
But  what  will  He  do  when  Lazarus  is  sick?  Lord, 
behold  he  whom  Thou  lovest  is  sick;  He  ceases  not  to  love 
because  His  friend  is  sick.  Lazarus  dies,  the  misery 
increases,  but  friendship  does  not  decrease ;  for  He 
says,  Our  friend  Lazarus  sleepefh.  Lazarus  is  not 
called  friend  because  that  he  loves,  but  because  he  is 
still  beloved.  Now  Lazarus  stinketh,  and  still  Christ 
is  his  friend,  for  He  weepeth  because  of  him.  Behold, 
they  say,  how  He  loved  him  !  Ill,  0  multitude,  do  you 
speak !  to  Him  love  is  present,  therefore  rather  say, 
Behold  how  He  loveth  him  !  0  most  faithful  Friend, 
Thou  art  He  who  sayest,  /  have  loved  thee  with  an 
everlasting  love! 

"  Far  otherwise  are  we  toward  Christ.  He  is  in  bonds, 
and  lo !  Peter  swears  that  he  knows  Him  not.  0 
man !  if  you  seek  a  true  friend,  seek  first  Christ,  who 
changeth  not.  What  think  you  is  the  friendship  of 
the  world?  "What  the  friendship  of  the  flesh?  You 
have  three  friends.  You  are  in  peril,  for  you  are  sum- 
moned before  the  king  to  be  tried,  and  sentenced  for 
high  treason.     You  go  to  your  first  friend,  and  tell 


JOHN   OSORIUS.  189 

him  your  danger,  and  ask  of  him  assistance.  He 
replies  that  he  will  accompany  you  as  far  as  the 
judgment  hall,  and  leave  you  there.  *Do  you  settle 
your  affair  with  the  king ;  I  can  do  no  more  for  you.' 
Seeing  that  there  is  no  help  to  be  gotten  from  this 
friend,  you  turn  to  the  second,  and  ask  of  him  succour. 
He  replies,  *  When  you  are  executed,  I  will  wrap  your 
body  in  some  old  and  cast-off  linen,  for  a  shroud.' 
You  go  to  the  third,  and  he  says,  *I  will  be  your 
advocate.  I  will  assist  you,  and  will  liberate  you.  I 
will  pacify  the  king,  and,  if  need  be,  I  will  die  in  your 
room.'  Is  not  this  a  faithful  friend  ?  Now  those  who 
enter  into  compact  of  friendship  with  their  flesh, 
which  of  these  friends  have  they  got?  The  first, 
which  will  accompany  you  only  to  the  gate  of  death. 
Cherish  the  flesh,  love  it,  and  it  will  be  a  Delilah  to 
you,  handing  you  over  to  your  enemies,  leaving  your 
soul  before  the  Judge,  without  accompanying  it.  The 
world  resembles  the  second  friend,  to  please  which  you 
must  torture  yourself,  but  all  it  will  give  you  in  the 
end  will  be  the  shroud  to  enwrap  your  dead  body. 
But  Christ  is  the  third  friend,  the  faithful  one,  our 
advocate,  who,  to  liberate  us,  endured  death  for  us ;  He 
who  accompanies  us  to  the  judgment,  who  frees  us, 
who  protects  us  I  Let  Him  be  our  friend  who  truly 
loves  us.  TFe  love  God  because  Se  first  loved  usJ^ 
I  conclude  with  the  following  striking  passage : — 
"  Are  ye  able  to  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  shall  drink  of? 
Being  desirous  of  alluring  His  disciples  to  drink  of  the 
cup.  He  expounds  to  them  its  sweetness,  when  He  says 
that  He  will  drink  of  it  first.     And,  in  sooth,  if  we  were 


190  JOHN   OSORIUS. 

faithful  to  Grod,  this  reason  would  be  sufficient  to  make 
us  drink  it  readily.  But,  as  says  the  wise  man,  most 
men  loill  proclaim  every  one  his  own  goodness  :  but  a 
faithful  man  who  can  find  ?  There  is  not  a  son,  there 
is  not  a  servant,  who  acts  as  faithlessly  with  his  father 
or  his  master  as  we  act  towards  God.  Would  you 
know  that  of  a  certainty  ?  I  tell  you  be  loth  to  sin, 
be  ready  to  die  rather  than  sin. 

"  Ah  !  but  you  say,  I  like  to  sin.  I  ask  you.  Upon 
what  grounds  do  you  persist  in  sinning?  Well,  you 
say,  God  is  so  good ;  He  loves  me,  He  is  ready  to 
pardon.  So  this  is  the  reason  why  you  continue  in 
sin !  And  what  though  you  know  this  for  certain, 
where  is  your  fidelity  ?  where  is  your  Christian  honour  ? 
Does  a  wife  act  in  this  manner  with  her  husband?  a  son 
with  his  father  ?  a  servant  with  his  lord  ?  I  pray  you 
bid  your  wife  act  in  this  manner  towards  you.  Say  to 
her,  '  Be  chaste.'  She  will  say,  *  That  is  no  concern  of 
mine.  I  know  full  well  that  you  are  good,  that  you 
love  me,  and  that  if  I  were  an  adulteress  you  would 
pardon  me.'  And  if  it  were  so,  would  this  answer  of 
your  wife  gratify  you  ?  Why !  where  would  be  the 
honour  of  a  good  woman  ?  where  her  fidelity  ?  Would 
it  be  deemed  sufficient  by  you,  if  she  were  an  adulteress 
and  were  reconciled  to  her  husband  ?  Does  any  minister 
act  thus  ?  You  say  to  the  royal  minister,  *  Beware  lest 
thou  plot  treason  against  your  master.'  He  replies,  '  He 
is  an  excellent  king ;  he  loves  me,  he  will  most  certainly 
pardon  me  even  if  I  do  turn  traitor.'  0  vilest  of  men  ! 
0  man  truly  without  honour !  where  is  the  fidelity 
which  you  owe  to  your  monarch  ? 


JOHN    OSORIUS.  191 

"Vilest  Christian  of  the  household  of  Faith,  unfaithful 
and  destitute  of  honour !  how  continue  to  sin  ?  how  do 
you  still  commit  adultery  against  Grod  ?  how  are  you  so 
traitorous  to  your  King  ?  You  say  :  He  will  pardon  me. 
Be  it  so.  Yet  where  is  your  fidelity?  where  your 
honour?  Is  it  sufficient  to  be  reconciled,  to  be  a 
pardoned  traitor  ?  Is  it  not  far  better  to  be  able  to 
say,  I  never  was  a  traitor  ? 

"  Now  let  us  turn  to  the  subject.  If  we  are  faithful 
servants  of  God,  enough  for  us  that  He  has  said.  The  cup 
that  I  shall  drink  ofy  to  make  us  thirst  for  that  cup.  He 
drank  thereof  before  thee  ;  wilt  thou  not  quafi"  of  it  out 
of  love  for  Him  ?  Is  there  a  faithful  soldier  who  would 
see  his  sovereign  enter  the  battle,  and  fight  amongst  the 
foe,  and  withdraw  himself,  leaving  his  king  alone,  and 
betake  himself  to  his  sports  ?  Hear  what  Uriah  said. 
The  ark,  and  Israel,  and  Judah,  abide  in  tents  ;  and  my 
lord  Joah,  and  the  servants  of  my  lord,  are  encamped  in 
the  open  fields ;  shall  I  then  go  into  mine  house  ?  How 
different  also  she  who  said.  My  Beloved  is  mine,  and  I  am 
His.  Bernard  says,  *  In  no  other  way  can  man  respond 
to  his  God  in  these  same  words,  except  by  love,  and  by 
drinking  of  the  cup.'  God  gives  thee  gifts  ;  thou  canst 
give  Him  nothing.  I  will  take  no  bullock  out  of  thine 
house,  God  beatifies  thee  ;  thou  canst  not  beatify  Him, 
except  by  love  and  suffering.  God  loves  thee ;  love 
Him  thou  canst.  He  suffered  for  thee ;  suffer  for  Him 
thou  canst.  Thus  may  est  thou  render  unto  Him  what 
thou  hast  received  of  Him,  and  return,  as  it  were,  like 
for  like  to  thy  God." 


MAXIMILIAN    DEZA. 


Maximilian  Deza,  an  Italian,  was  born  in  1610,  and 
joined  the  Congregation  of  the  Mother  of  God,  in 
which  he  soon  became  famous  as  a  preacher.  He  seems 
to  have  been  a  man  of  fervent  piety  and  Apostolic  zeal. 
He  had  acquired  a  good  knowledge  of  the  Latin  classics 
in  his  early  years,  and  this  he  was  fond  of  exhibiting, 
with  some  pedantry,  in  his  discourses.  But  such  was 
the  taste  of  the  times,  when  classic  literature  and  art 
were  deluging  Europe,  and  producing  a  revulsion  in  all 
the  laws  of  taste  which  had  regulated  the  mediaevals. 
This  affectation  of  classic  learning  was  the  bane  of 
Deza*s  oratory,  and  it  is  constantly  obtruding  itself 
on  the  reader,  in  a  marked  and  offensive  manner, 
though  nowhere  perhaps  so  prominently  as  in  his 
sermon  at  the  marriage  of  the  Queen  of  Poland  with 
the  Duke  of  Lorraine,  in  the  Cathedral  of  Neustadt  in 
Austria,  in  which  sermon,  for  instance,  he  enumerates 
celebrated  marriages,  as  those  of  Cadmus  and  Harmonia, 
Jupiter  and  Juno,  David  and  Michal,  Isaac  and  Rebecca, 
and  that  at  Cana— all  in  one  breath. 


MAXIMILIAN   DEZA.  193 

As  soon  as  his  fame  was  establislied,  he  was  in 
request  throughout  his  native  land,  and  we  find  him 
preaching  at  Bonona,  Turin,  and  Milan.  In  1664 
he  preached  before  the  Doge  at  Genoa;  in  1666  he 
was  in  Malta.  We  have  sermons  of  his  delivered  at 
Rome  in  1672,  and  at  Yenice  in  1686.  There  is  ex- 
tant a  sermon  by  Deza  on  the  birth  of  the  Prince 
of  Wales,  the  so-called  "Pretender,"  son  of  James  II., 
and  an  oration  preached  at  Yenice  on  the  occasion  of 
the  exhibition  of  the  Blessed  Sacrament  for  obtain- 
ing success  against  the  Turks,  with  whom  the  Re- 
public was  then  at  war.  Maximilian  Deza  was  sent  for 
by  Leopold  I.  to  preach  before  him  at  Yienna,  and 
there  the  old  man  died  peacefully  in  his  seventy-seventh 
year,  a.d.  1687. 

His  sermons  were  published  in  Italian,  "  Prediche 
deir  Avvento  del  P.  Massimiliano  Deza,  Lucchese 
deUa  Congregatione  della  Madre  di  Dio,"  by  Mcolo 
Pezzana,  Yenice,  1709. 

There  is  also  a  Latin  edition,  translated  by  Cassimir 
Moll,  a  Benedictine,  published  by  Yeith,  Yienna.  1726, 
and  dedicated  to  John  Julius  de  Moll,  Archbishop  of 
Salzburg. 

The  sermons  extant  form  three  series;  the  first 
consists  of  sermons  from  the  First  Sunday  in  Advent 
to  the  Sunday  after  Christmas,  together  with  two 
discourses  on  the  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  in 
all  nine,  forming  one  volume.  The  second  con- 
tains thirty-eight  sermons  preached  during  Lent ; 
and  the  third  part,  which  is  immeasurably  infe- 
rior to   the  other  two,  consists  of  orations   on  divers 

K 


194  MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 

saints,  such,  as  St.  Catharine  of  Bologna,  St.  Peter  of 
Alcantara,  St.  Eosa  of  Lima,  together  with,  sermons 
on  state  occasions. 

Maximilian  Deza  just  escaped  being  a  really  great 
orator,  like  Segneri,  whom  he  much  resembles  in  his 
vehemence,  zeal,  fine  word-painting,  and  brilliant 
transitions.  There  is  nothing  heavy  or  dull  about  his 
sermons ;  they  are  calculated  to  rivet  the  attention  of 
an  audience,  and  they  appeal  earnestly  to  the  con- 
science. They  are  not  sermons  to  be  read  in  measured 
tones  from  the  pulpit,  but  to  be  declaimed  with  flashing 
eye,  modulated  voice,  and  vehement  gesture.  To  modern 
readers  Deza  seems  to  play  with  an  idea  in  a  manner 
unsuitable  to  our  nineteenth  century  ideas  of  pulpit 
proprieties  ;  but  it  must  be  borne  in  mind  that  his 
discourses  are  long,  lasting  sometimes  two  hours,  and 
the  mind  of  the  hearer  would  need  rest,  it  would  only 
be  fatigued  if  kept  constantly  on  the  stretch.  Viewed 
thus,  it  will  be  seen  that  Deza  handles  his  matter  with 
great  skill ;  he  works  one  point  of  his  subject  to  a  climax, 
— you  hold  your  breath  even  in  reading  him — and  then 
he  gently  drops  the  point,  and  gives  time  for  relaxation 
of  the  attention  till  he  deems  it  fit  to  produce  another 
effect,  just  as  in  a  drama  the  sensational  scenes  are 
separated  from  each  other  by  the  talkee-talkee  scenes 
in  the  front  groove.  But  these  intermediate  portions  of 
Deza's  sermons  are  by  no  means  dull ;  they  are  light 
and  pleasant  trifles  with  which  he  toys,  but  which  lead 
on  insensibly  to  his  point,  just  as  the  small  beads  of  a 
rosary  draw  the  fingers  on  to  the  larger  ones. 

Take  his  sermon  for  Ash- Wednesday  as  an  example. 


MAXIMILIAN  DEZA.  195 

He  is  preaching  on  the  words,  "  Remember,  0  man, 
that  thou  art  dust,  and  that  into  dust  thou  shalt 
return,''  which  occur  in  the  E-oman  Office  for  the 
day. 

He  begins  with  the  lessons  drawn  from  the  ashes 
sprinkled  every  where ;   and  he  bids  his  hearers  look 
on  these  ashes,  and  remember  that  they  shall  one  day 
be  like  them.     He  then  draws  with  skill  a  picture  of 
man's  forlorn  condition,  with  the   prospect   of  death 
before  him,  and  no  possibility  affi)rded  him  of  escape. 
He  laughs  to  scorn  the  thoughts  of  immortality  con- 
nected with   name   and   title ;    he   tells   the   story   of 
Empedocles  seeking  an   immortal   name   by  jumping 
into   the   crater   of   ^tna ;    and   then   he   warns   his 
hearers  most  solemnly  to  keep  death  ever  before  their 
eyes.      Eemember,  he  cries,  that  you  have  sucked  in 
with  your    mother's    milk   the    seeds   of  death.     Ee- 
member that  all  beasts  were  created  alive,  but  Adam 
was  created  a  lifeless  frame,  till  God  breathed  into  his 
nostrils  the  breath  of  life.      Eemember  that  from  the 
moment  of  birth,  the  moment  of  death  began  to  creep 
nearer.     Then  suddenly  pointing  to  the  hour-glass  he 
exclaims,  Look  !  this  hour  is  stealing  away  in  grains  of 
dust,  warning  you  to  remember  what  you  too  ere  long 
will  become.     And  having  worked  this  out  with  great 
solemnity,  he  suddenly  breaks  off  into  a  description  of 
glass  and  its  manufacture.     He  says  it  is  made  of  sand 
and  ash,  it  is  fused  with  heat,  it  is  formed  by  the  breath. 
Is  not  that  like  man  ?  he  asks ;  man  made  of  dust, 
kindled  by  the  glow  of  life,  vivified  by  the   Divine 
breath  ? 

k2 


196  MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 

Well !  you  will  say  that  glass  is  a  very  brittle  affair ; 
it  some  what  resembles  ice,  and  is  just  as  fragile ;  one 
little  fall,  and  it  is  shivered  into  countless  fragments ; 
it  is  made  by  a  puff,  it  is  clouded  by  a  breath,  it  is 
broken  by  a  touch. 

You  consider  it  very  fragile. — I  tell  you,  on  the 
authority  of  St.  Augustine,  that  man  is  far  more  fragile. 

Glass  carefully  preserved  may  become  an  heirloom, 
but  man  can  never  last  out  more  than  a  generation. 

Glass  is  only  shattered  by  accident,  but  man  is 
perishable  by  his  nature. 

Glass  is  broken  by  external  force,  but  man  bears 
about  within  him  the  seeds  of  dissolution. 

Glass  is  snapped  by  a  touch,  but  man  untouched  will 
crumble  into  his  grave. 

Glass  once  broken  may  be  restored,  not  so  man. 

Glass  though  broken  does  not  decay,  but  man's  flesh 
becomes  corrupt. 

Having  thus  amused  and  rested  his  hearers,  Deza 
begins  another  earnest  appeal  to  them;  he  explains 
that  the  soul  of  man  does  not  descend  to  the  grave, 
and  he  solves  a  difficulty  in  the  text.  Genesis  iii.  19, 
Dust  thou  arty  and  unto  dust  shalt  thou  return. 

Having  done  this,  it  is  proper  that  the  congregation 
should  be  given  a  little  breathing-time,  and  so  the 
preacher  takes  the  sentence.  Dust  thou  art,  and  plays 
with  it,  by  giving  a  description  of  dust  agitated  by  the 
wind.  Oh,  into  what  fantastic  shapes  does  the  wind 
whirl  the  dust !  how  the  dust-cloud  runs  along,  rushes 
forward  madly,  stops  and  spins  awhile,  and  tosses  itself 
up,  up,  till  it  seems  verily  to  fly;  it  ascends  higher 


MAXIMILIAN   DEZA.  197 

and  higher,  it  is  carried  above  the  tree-tops,  it  will 
reach  the  clouds  of  Heaven.  Stay ! — the  wind  drops. 
Where  is  the  dust  ?  It  falls,  it  obscures  the  landscape, 
it  is  scattered  every  where,  it  parches  the  tongue,  it 
blinds  the  eyes,  it  clogs  the  throat ;  and  that  which 
just  now  dulled  the  air  and  obscured  the  sun,  has 
returned  to  itself  again ;  dust  it  was,  and  nothing  more, 
and  unto  dust  has  it  returned. 

Is  not  this  a  picture  of  man?  asks  the  preacher; 
man,  poor  dust  carried  up  and  hurried  forward  by 
the  winds  of  his  vain  fancies  ?  Ambition  puffs  him  up 
on  high,  only  to  fling  him  to  earth  again ;  passion 
drives  him  forward,  and  then  drops  him  a  helpless 
atom  to  his  native  soil. 

Look  how  high  those  giddy  particles  are  flung — 
Thou  tahest  away  their  breathy  they  die,  and  are  turned 
again  to  their  dust. 

Yes,  toss  yourselves  in  pride,  rush  on  in  the  storm  of 
passion,  eddy  up  in  the  struggle  of  life,  spin  in  the 
giddiness  of  pleasure,  penetrate  every  where  in  the 
eagerness  of  curiosity — Thou  takest  aioay  their  breathy 
they  diey  and  are  turned  again  to  their  dust. 

Deza  then  examines  the  words  of  Solomon,  There  is 
a  time  to  he  horn  and  a  time  to  diey  and  he  asks  why 
the  King  did  not  say  there  is  a  time  to  live.  Having 
answered  this  question  to  his  own  satisfaction,  by  show- 
ing that  Solomon  spoke  of  definite  moments  of  time, 
but  that  life  was  not  a  point  of  time,  but  a  fleeting 
succession  of  moments,  he  enters  on  the  subject  of  the 
shortness  of  time,  and  quotes  Wisdom  v.  10.  The  life 
of  man,  says  Solomon,  is  as  a  ship  that  passeth  over  the 

k3 


198  MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 

waves  of  the  tvater,  and  leaves  no  trace — no  trace  but  the 
foam-bubbles  ;  and  those  foam -bubbles  are  like  the  life 
of  man,  now  appearing  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel,  and 
then  brushed  away  by  the  next  wave, — and  this  wave 
is  like  the  life  of  man,  sweeping  on  resistlessly  to  the 
rock  on  which  it  will  be  shivered  with  a  roar — a  roar 
like  the  life  of  man,  loud  and  fierce  for  the  moment, 
and  then  carried  off  on  the  wind — the  wind  like  the 
life  of  man  sinking  into  a  lull  and  lost. 
And  so  throughout  the  sermon. 
I  will  now  give  an  analysis  of  one  of  Maximilian  Deza's 
most  characteristic  and  striking  discourses,  with  a  trans- 
lation of  a  portion  of  it  as  a  specimen  of  his  style  of 
oratory. 

The  sermon  I  have  selected  is  that  for  the  First 
Sunday  in  Advent,  with  which  the  Feast  of  St.  Andrew 
coincided.  The  lessons  from  each  holiday  are  very 
happily  blended. 

Maximilian  Deza  takes  two  texts,  the  first  from  the 
twenty-first  chapter  of  St.  Luke,  Then  shall  they  see 
the  Son  of  Man  coming  in  a  cloud  with  power  and 
great  glory;  and  the  second  from  the  Ofiice  for  St. 
Andrew's  Day,  "  Blessed  Andrew  prayed,  saying, 
Hail,  good  Cross  !  may  He  receive  me  by  thee.  Who 
by  thee  redeemed  me." 
Introduction. 

On  this  coincidence  of  holidays  two  points  of  con- 
sideration are  presented  to  us ;  the  Cross  the 
sign  of  terror  and  destruction  to  the  guilty, 
and  the  Cross  the  sign  of  joy  and  salvation  to 
the  just. 


MAXIMILIAN   DEZA.  199 

I.  The  love  of  the  Cross  is  the  characteristic  of  the 

elect;  whilst  the  hatred  of  the  Cross  is  the 
sign  of  the  reprobate. 

a.  The  Lord  knoweth  those  that  are  His — 
by  their  love  of  His  Cross  of  suffering. 
If  any  man  will  come  after  Me,   let  Mm 
deny  himself  and  take  up  his  cross,  and 
follow  Me. 
yS.  But  the  wicked  are  called  the  enemies  of 
the  Cross  of  Christ,  whose  end  is  destruc- 
tion. 
The  day  will  come,  the  great  and  terrible 
day  of  the   Lord,   when    He   will    call    the 
heavens  from  above,  and  the  earth,  that  He 
may   judge    His    people ;    when    the   Cross, 
the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man,  will  appear  in 
the  clouds  of  Heaven. 

II.  Then  God  will  judge  the  world  with  fire,  and 

the  Cross  alone  will  be  the  standard  by  which 
all  will  be  tried. 

God  will  judge  the  world  with  fire. — How 
with  fire  ?  When  a  palace  is  destroyed  by  the 
flames,  every  thing  in  it  is  reduced  to  cinder ; 
the  rags  of  the  beggar,  the  gorgeous  robes  of 
the  prince,  the  statue  of  the  king,  and  the 
image  of  the  ape.  So  every  man  will  be  tried 
with  fire,  and  all  difference  between  man  and 
man  as  now  existing  will  be  rendered  indis- 
tinguishable. King  and  subject,  master  and 
slave,  will  stand  shivering  in  nakedness  be- 
side each  other;  there  is  no  respect  of  per- 
K  4 


200  MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 

sons  with  God,  they  will  be  but  as  a  heap 
of  cinders,  which  are  equally  hideous,  though 
some  may  be  the  ashes  of  costly  articles, 
others  of  vile  materials. 

One  alone  distinguishing  mark  will  be 
left,  the  love  of  the  Cross,  by  which  to  judge 
them. 

III.  By  the  Cross  will  the  saints  be  recognized,  as 
in  Ezekiel  ix.  the  prophet  saw  in  vision  the 
destruction  of  the  last  day,  when  God's  com- 
mand was,  Slay  utterly  old  and  youngs  both 
maidSy  and  little  children,  and  women  :  but  come 
not  near  any  man  upon  whom  is  the  mark 
Tau, 

This  Tau,  Deza  observes,  is  the  Cross,  the 
mark  on  the  brow  by  which  the  faithful  shall 
be  known.  Tau  is  the  last  letter  of  the  Hebrew 
alphabet,  and  it  is  the  last  sign  which  shall 
appear  in  Heaven.  The  preacher  then  goes 
through  the  list  of  those  slain,  old  and  young, 
maids,  and  little  children,  and  women,  and 
shows  how  that  wisdom  of  grey  hairs,  or  inno- 
cency  of  childhood,  or  purity  of  virgins,  are  of 
no  avail  to  stand  the  fire  of  trial  unless  the 
Cross  be  the  source  of  those  graces. 

The  Cross  is  the  banner  of  the  Xing  in  His 
army  on  earth.  It  is  the  tree  of  life  in  the 
Paradise  of  His  Church. 

lY.  The  Cross,  as  sign  of  safety  to  some  and  of 
destruction  to  others,  was  prefigured  in  the 
Old  Testament — 


MAXIMILIAN   DE2A.  201 

a.  By  the  rod  of  Moses,  which,  opened  the  sea 
for   the    passage   of   the   Israelites,   and 
which  brought   it   back  again  to  over- 
whelm the  Egyptians. 
/3.  By  the  ark  of  Noah. 

7.  By  the  blood^marks  on  the  lintel  and  door- 
post when   the   destroying  angel  passed 
through  Egypt. 
Y.  A  contrast  is  drawn  between  St.  Peter  and  the 
penitent  thief.     The  former  feared  the  Cross, 
and  when  our  Lord  spoke  of  His  approaching 
crucifixion,  the  Apostle  said,  Be  it  far  from 
Thee ;  and  was  therefore  sufiered  to  fall.     But 
the  thief  who  sought  Christ  through  the  Cross 
found  acceptance. 
YI.  Deza   shows    that    people  may   now  become 
enemies  of  the  Cross  of  Christ — 
a.  By  gluttony  and  drunkenness. 
)3.  By  debauchery  and  frivolity. 

7.  By  injustice  and  dishonesty. 

8.  By  falsehood  and  calumnies, 
e.  By  hypocrisy. 

He  draws  a  very  solemn  and  awful  picture  of 
the  dawning  of  the  great  day,  and  the  flashing 
of  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  Man  upon  the  enemies 
of  the  Cross  of  Christ,  and  then — 
YII.  He  comments  on  the  sentences  pronounced 
on  the  good  and  on  the  bad.  This  is  the  pas- 
sage I  translate. 
Part  II. 

YIII.  Maximilian  Deza  now  shows  how  St.  An- 
k5 


202  MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 

drew  is  a  blessed  child  of  the  Cross.  He 
shows  how  that  to  him  the  Cross  was  as  a 
second  mother,  guiding  him  through  life,  sus- 
taining him  and  embracing  him  in  death. 
IX.  The  love  of  Christ's  Cross  regenerates  us,  as- 
sures us  of  our  sonship,  and  is  an  earnest  of 
our  inheritance. 

At  our  birth  into  this  world  we  are  placed 
in  divers  positions  by  the  will  of  God  and  by 
no  appointment  of  our  own.  So  some  are 
born  to  be  kings,  some  to  be  slaves,  some  to 
be  philosophers,  others  to  be  fools. 

But  at  the  regeneration  it  will  not  be  so. 
Our  position  then  will  be  regulated  by  our 
own  selves,  for  we  shall  be  nearer  to,  or  more 
remote  from,  Christ;  be  princes  or  subjects 
according  to  our  love  for  the  Cross  of  Christ 
during  our  earthly  existence,  according  to  the 
closeness  of  our  walk  in  the  bloody  foot- 
prints of  our  Master,  bearing  our  crosses  after 
Him,  in  the  season  of  our  probation. 
And  in  conclusion,  Deza  makes   an    eloquent  and 

earnest  appeal  to  his  hearers  to  redeem  the  time  because 

the  days  are  evil. 

The  following  is  a  translation  of  the  seventh  section 
of  this  most  striking  sermon,  which  exhibits  at  the 
same  time  his  power  and  his  weakness,  his  merits  and 
his  defects : — 

"  Behold ! "  will  say  the  Judge,  with  threatening  voice, 
to  that  great  throng  of  accused ;  *'  behold  !  on  this  Cross 


MAXIMILIAN    DEZA.  203 

I  poured  forth  all  the  treasures  of  My  love — producing 
blood  for  your  welfare ;  to  you  though  was  that  most 
precious  stream  counted  but  as  dung,  squandered  reck- 
lessly for  some  fleeting  vanity.  From  this  My  Cross 
with  last  and  dying  voice,  with  tears  breathing  nought 
but  piety,  I  called  you  to  penitence,  but  as  deaf  adders 
you  stopped  your  ears  and  hardened  your  hearts  to  the 
sweet  incantations  of  love.  On  this  Cross,  full  of  sor- 
rows and  of  confusion,  painfully  I  suffered  death,  that 
I  might  recover  eternal  life  for  your  souls ;  and  you, 
meanwhile,  before  the  countenance  of  God  dying  for 
you,  did  laugh  with  the  scribes,  mock  with  the  Pha- 
risees, sport  with  the  soldiers.  This  My  Cross  was  a 
noble  pulpit  from  which  I,  the  Master  of  humility,  of 
patience,  and  of  charity,  taught  you  the  love  of  your 
enemies,  praying  to  the  Father  for  My  foes  and  My 
persecutors.  But  you  !  what  did  you  take  in,  what  did 
you  learn  ?  Answer,  what  ?  The  implacable  madness 
and  rage  of  a  Saul,  the  boastings  of  a  Goliath,  the  im- 
pieties, and  crimes,  and  vengeance  of  a  Cain,  a  Joab,  or 
an  Absalom.  And  what !  were  your  hopes  too  rash  to 
calculate  on  finding  safety  in  that  Cross  ?  Ah,  wretched 
ones !  Are  ye  not  those  to  whom  the  withering  roses 
of  this  world  were  more  acceptable  than  My  thorns  ? 
Are  ye  not  those  who  sucked  in  the  sweet  poison  from 
the  cup  of  Babylon,  but  rejected  the  chalice  of  My 
passion  ?  Are  ye  not  those  who,  fleeing  the  embrace 
of  My  Cross,  rushed  into  the  arms  of  lust  which  polluted 
you,  of  the  world  which  betrayed  you,  of  Satan  who 
erects  his  trophies  upon  your  ruin  ?  These,  these  were 
K  6 


204 


MAXIMILIAN   DEZA. 


your  lovers,  these  the  idols  of  your  heart,  these  the 
deities  ye  idolatrously  worshipped — commend  yourselves 
now  to  them,  let  them  arise  and  help  you.  In  Me 
remains  no  hope  for  you,  no  more  bowels  of  mercies, — 
Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed!  This  Cross  is  your 
condemnation ;  this  gallows-tree  is  your  scourge,  this 
wood  will  rack  and  consume  you  more  fiercely  than  the 
flames  of  hell.  Depart  from  Me,  ye  cursed,  into  ever- 
lasting fire.'' 

But  oh,  happy  elect !  to  whom  on  the  contrary  the 
holy  Cross  has  been  the  bow  of  peace  eternal,  the  ladder 
of  Heaven,  the  pledge  of  glory,  the  unfading  palm  of 
lasting  triumph.  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father ! " 
Oh,  sweet  words !  best-loved  invitation  !  most  plea- 
sant reception,  long-looked-for  glimpse  of  Paradise  so 
near !  "  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father.  Ye  inno- 
cents by  your  sweat,  ye  penitents  by  your  tears,  ye 
martyrs  by  your  blood,  did  water  the  tree  of  My  Cross  ; 
come  now,  gather  the  fruits  of  safety,  life,  and  happy 
immortality.  Come,  ye  blessed  of  My  Father.  Ye  who 
followed  My  blood-stained  traces  up  the  hill  of  Calvary, 
even  ye  shall  ascend  with  Me  to  the  topmost  height 
of  the  heavenly  Sion,  where  this  Cross  is  exalted  to  be 
the  trophy  of  your  victories.  Come,  inherit  the  king- 
dom prepared  for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world. 
By  nature  were  ye  My  subjects,  but  by  grace  My  sons ; 
and  as  sons  of  a  reigning  Father  My  kingdom  shall  be 
your  patrimony,  and  My  Cross  the  sceptre  of  a  death- 
less realm.  My  charity  bore  it,  out  of  love  for  you ; 
your  gratitude  bore  it,  out  of  love  for  Me;  now  has 


MAXIMILIAN    DEZA.  205 

come  the  season  for  both.  Me  and  you,  that  to  patient 
love  should  succeed  love  beatifying.  As  long  as  I  am 
God,  that  is,  for  eternity,  ye  shall  also  be  happy,  shall 
be  likewise  glorious,  triumphant,  princes  of  Heaven  with 
starred  diadem  on  your  brows,  and  monarchs  of  the 
universe." 


FRANCIS  COSTER. 


The  subject  of  this  memoir  was  born  at  Malines  in  the 
year  1531 ;  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  join  the  new 
Society  of  Jesus,  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  was 
received  into  it  by  the  illustrious  founder  himself. 

St.  Ignatius  soon  discovered  the  remarkable  talents 
and  the  deep  spirituality  of  the  young  man,  and  he 
stationed  him  at  Cologne,  placing  him  in  the  van  of  the 
army  of  the  Church,  and  in  the  thick  of  the  fight  then 
waging  between  Catholics  and  Protestants.  He  was 
admirably  adapted  for  his  position,  and  fully  justified  the 
confidence  placed  in  him  by  Loyola.  The  Lutherans 
and  Calvinists  found  in  him  an  enemy  of  no  ordinary 
power,  and  quite  invulnerable  to  their  blows.  His  know- 
ledge of  Scripture  was  as  thorough  as,  and  was  sounder 
than,  their  own.  Their  arguments  were  dissected,  and 
the  fallacies  exposed,  by  Coster,  in  a  manner  so  clear 
and  so  conclusive  that  he  stung  them  to  madness. 

Volume  after  volume  passed  through  the  press  from 
his  pen,  many  of  them  composed  in  the  vernacular,  so 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  207 

as  to  be  read  by  tbe  vulgar.  He  is  said  to  have  brought 
back  multitudes  to  the  Church  who  had  fallen  away 
at  the  first  blush  of  Protestantism,  and  to  have 
strengthened  numerous  souls  which  wavered  in  doubt. 

He  taught  astronomy  and  lectured  on  the  Holy 
Scriptures  in  Cologne.  He  was  afterwards  Rector  of 
several  Colleges,  thrice  Provincial,  and  present  at  three 
General  Congregations  of  the  Order. 

After  a  life  of  controversy,  yet  with  a  soul  full  of 
peace  and  goodwill  to  men,  Francis  Coster  entered  into 
his  rest  in  1619,  aged  eighty-eight  years ;  of  which  he 
had  spent  sixty-seven  in  the  Society  of  Jesus.  He  died 
at  Brussels. 

His  works  are  too  numerous  for  me  to  give  a  list  of 
them  here.  A  complete  catalogue  will  be  found  in  the 
Bihliotheque  des  Ecrwains  de  la  Compagnee  de  Jesus^  par 
Aug.  et  Alois  Backer,  vol,  i.  pp.  218 — 224.  I  mention 
the  sermons  alone. 

E,.  P.  Costeri  Conciones  in  Evangelia  Dominicalia  a 
Dom.  Adventus  usque  ad  initium  Quadr. ;  Coloniae, 
Ant.  Hierat.  1608,  4to.  Conciones  ab  initio  Quadr. 
usque  ad  Domin.  SS.  Trinitates ;  ibid,  id.,  1608,  4to. 
Conciones  a  Domin.  post  Fest.  SS.  Trinit.  usque  ad 
Adventum ;  ibid,  id.,  1608,  4to. 

R.  P.  Fr.  Costeri  Conciones  in  Evangelia ;  ibid,  id., 
1613,  4to.;  1626,  8vo.,  3  part.,  4  vol.  This  last  the 
best  edition. 

Yyftien  Catholiicke  Sermoonen  op  t'Epistelen  end 
Evangelien ;  Antwerp,  1617,  fol.,  4  vols. 

Catholiicke  Sermoonen  op  alle  de  heylichdaghen  des 
jaers ;  Antwerp,  1616,  fol.,  2  vols. 


208 


FRANCIS   COSTER. 


Sermoonen  op  d'Epistelen  van  de  Sendaglien, — met 
twee  octaven  ;  Antwerp,  1616,  fol. 

Francis  Coster  difiPers  in  style  from  all  the  other 
preachers  whom  I  have  quoted.  He  is  neither  eloquent 
nor  impressive  as  a  speaker,  he  is  immensely  long,  and 
must  have  been  desperately  tedious  in  the  pulpit ;  and 
yet  I  question  whether  a  priest  could  possess  a  more 
valuable  promptuarium  for  sermon  composition  or  cate- 
chetical lecture  than  Coster's  volumes.  Coster  is  rather 
an  expositor  of  Scripture  than  a  preacher ;  his  insight 
into  the  significance  of  the  sacred  utterances  is  per- 
fectly marvellous. 

Coster  relates  numerous  stories  of  difierent  merit  and 
point.  He  seldom  indulges  in  simile.  He  says  sharp 
and  piquant  things  in  a  quiet  unassuming  manner  ; 
and  unless  the  reader  is  quite  on  the  alert,  he  may  miss 
some  very  happy  remark  couched  in  a  few  pregnant 
words.  For  instance  :  he  says  on  the  subject  of 
Profession  not  Practice,  that  Christ  lived  thirty-three 
years  on  earth,  and  He  did  many  great  works ;  but  we 
know  of  only  one  sermon  that  He  preached.  The  arms 
are  long,  the  tongue  is  short ;  the  hands  are  free,  the 
tongue  confined  behind  the  prison  bars  of  the  teeth ;  to 
teach  us  that  we  should  work  freely,  but  talk  little. 
Those  who  profess  great  things  and  practise  little  what 
they  profess  are  in  a  bad  spiritual  condition  ;  the  clock 
whose  hand  stands  at  one  whilst  the  clapper  goes  twelve, 
is  wrong  in  the  works. 

The  stories  Coster  tells  are  very  unequal.  There  is 
one  delightful  mediaeval  tale  reproduced  by  him  which 
I  shall  venture  to  relate,  as  it  is  full  of  beauty,  and. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  209 

inculcates  a  wholesome  lesson.  There  is  a  ballad  in 
German  on  the  subject,  to  be  found  in  Pocci  and  Gores' 
Fest  Kalender,  which  has  been  translated  into  English 
and  published  in  some  Eoman  children's  books. 

The  story  was,  I  believe,  originated  by  Anthony  of 
Sienna,  who  relates  it  in  his  Chronicle  of  the  Domini- 
can Order ;  and  it  was  from  him  that  the  preachers  and 
writers  of  the  Middle  Ages  drew  the  incident.  With  the 
reader's  permission  I  will  tell  the  story  in  my  own  words, 
instead  of  giving  the  stiff  and  dry  record  found  in  Coster. 

There  was  once  a  good  priest  who  served  a  church  in 
Lusitania ;  and  he  had  two  pupils^  little  boys,  who  came 
to  him  daily  to  learn  their  letters,  and  to  be  instructed 
in  the  Latin  tongue. 

Now  these  children  were  wont  to  come  early  from 
home,  and  to  assist  at  mass,  before  ever  they  ate  their 
breakfast  or  said  their  lessons.  And  thus  was  each  day 
sanctified  to  them,  and  each  day  saw  them  grow  in 
grace  and  in  favour  with  God  and  man. 

These  little  ones  were  taught  to  serve  at  the  Holy 
Sacrifice,  and  they  performed  their  parts  with  care  and 
reverence.  They  knelt  and  responded,  they  raised  the 
priest's  chasuble  and  kissed  its  hem,  they  rang  the 
bell  at  the  sanctus  and  the  elevation ;  and  all  they  did, 
they  did  right  well. 

And  when  mass  was  over,  they  extinguished  the  altar 
lights,  and  then  taking  their  little  loaf  and  can  of  milk, 
retired  to  a  side  chapel  for  their  breakfast. 

One  day  the  elder  lad  said  to  his  master — 

"  Good  father,  who  is  the  strange  child  who  visits  us 
every  morning  when  we  break  our  fast  ?" 


210  FRANCIS    COSTER. 

"  I  know  not,"  answered  the  priest.  And  when  the 
children  asked  the  same  question  day  by  day,  the  old 
man  wondered,  and  said,  "Of  what  sort  is  he?" 

"  He  is  dressed  in  a  white  robe  without  seam,  and  it 
reacheth  from  his  neck  to  his  feet." 

"Whence  Cometh  he?" 

"  He  steppeth  down  to  us,  suddenly,  as  it  were  from 
the  altar.  And  we  ask  him  to  share  our  food  with  us  : 
and  that  he  doth  right  willingly  every  morning." 

Then  the  priest  wondered  yet  more,  and  he  asked, 
"  Are  there  marks  by  which  I  should  know  him,  were 
I  to  see  him?" 

"  Yes,  father ;  he  hath  wounds  in  his  hands  and 
feet ;  and  as  we  give  him  of  our  food,  the  blood  flows 
forth  and  moistens  the  bread  in  his  hands,  till  it  blushes 
like  a  rose." 

And  when  the  master  heard  this,  a  great  awe  fell 
upon  him,  and  he  was  silent  awhile.  But  at  last  he 
said  gravely,  "  Oh,  my  sons,  know  that  the  Holy  Child 
Jesus  hath  been  with  you.  Now  when  He  cometh  again, 
say  to  Him,  '  Thou,  0  Lord,  hast  breakfasted  with  us  full 
often,  grant  that  we  brothers  and  our  dear  master  may 
sup  with  Thee.' " 

And  the  children  did  as  the  priest  bade  them.  The 
Child  Jesus  smiled  sweetly,  as  they  made  the  request, 
and  replied,  "  Be  it  so  ;  on  Thursday  next,  the  day  of 
My  ascension,  ye  shall  sup  with  Me." 

So  when  Ascension  Day  arrived,  the  little  ones  came 
very  early  as  usual,  but  they  brought  not  their  loaf,  nor 
the  tin  of  milk.  And  they  assisted  at  mass  as  usual ; 
they  vested  the  priest,  they  lighted  the  tapers,  they 


FRANCIS   COSTEE.  211 

chanted  the  responds,  they  rang  the  bell.  But  when 
the  Pax  vobiscum  had  been  said  they  remained  on  their 
knees,  kneeling  behind  the  priest.  And  so  they  gently 
fell  asleep  in  Christ,  and  they  with  their  dear  master 
sat  down  at  the  marriage  supper  of  the  Lamb. 

This  story  reminds  me  of  another,  to  be  found  in  one 
or  two  mediaeval  sermons. 

A  little  boy  once  made  an  agreement  with  an  aged 
priest  that  they  should  say  Prime  together. 

So,  on  the  first  morning  after  the  arrangement,  the 
child  rose,  and  descended  to  the  church,  where  he  lighted 
the  candles.  He  waited  long  for  the  priest,  and  pulled 
the  bell ;  but  the  old  man  turned  in  his  bed  and  would 
not  rise.  Then  the  lad  looked  from  the  window,  and 
the  land  was  dumb  with  snow.  He  thought,  I  will 
run  forth,  and  sport  in  the  snow,  for  the  father  comes 
not  to  Prime.  But  he  resisted  the  temptation,  and  he 
recited  the  office  by  himself  in  choir. 

On  the  second  morning  he  descended  again,  and  rang 
the  bell,  and  lighted  the  tapers ;  but  the  priest  came 
not.  Then  the  boy  thought,  I  will  go  forth  and  slide 
on  the  frozen  pond.  But  he  overcame  the  temptation,^ 
and  recited  the  office  by  himself  in  choir. 

On  the  third  morning  he  turned  in  his  bed,  and 
thought.  It  is  so  cold,  I  will  not  rise ;  the  father  will 
not  leave  his  bed,  nor  will  I.  But  he  resisted  the 
temptation  to  lie  in  bed,  he  dressed  and  came  down  to 
the  church,  he  pulled  the  bell,  he  lighted  the  tapers ; 
but  the  priest  came  not,  so  he  sang  the  office  by  himself 
in  choir. 

And  this  continued  for  six  mornings ;  each  morning 


212  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

was  tlie  cLild  tempted,  each,  morning  did  he  overcome 
the  temptation.  Each,  morning  the  priest  lay  in  bed, 
and  the  little  boy  sang  the  office  by  himself  in  choir. 

On  the  seventh  morning  the  priest  was  roused  by  the 
bell,  but  he  turned  in  bed  and  fell  asleep  again.  Then 
he  had  a  dream.  He  beheld  in  his  dream  the  Lord 
Jesus  standing  by  the  treasury  in  Heaven  ;  and  in  His 
hand  He  bare  seven  crowns  of  pure  gold.  "  Oh,  my 
Lord,  are  these  for  me?''  exclaimed  the  sleeper. 
"KayV  replied  the  Blessed  One,  "not  for  thee,  but 
for  thy  little  acolyte.  Seven  times  has  he  been  tried, 
and  seven  times  has  he  overcome  ;  therefore  have  I  pre- 
pared for  him  seven  crowns.  Blessed  is  the  man  that 
endureth  temptation^  for  when  he  is  tried  he  shall  receive 
the  crown  of  life.'' 

But  leaving  these  stories,  let  us  turn  to  a  sermon  of 
Coster's,  and  analyze  it  thoroughly.  It  will  be  seen  how 
pregnant  it  is  with  thought,  how  exhaustive  it  is  as  a 
commentary  on  a  passage  of  Scripture,  how  suggestive 
it  is  of  matter  for  a  modern  preacher. 

I  shall  choose  the  sermon  for  the  First  Sunday  in 
Lent,  curtailing  it  in  only  a  few  points,  where  the 
conclusions  drawn  seem  unwarranted,  or  where  the 
doctrine  enforced  is  distinctively  Roman.  These 
omissions  I  have  made  from  no  wish  to  misrepresent 
the  preacher,  but  simply  to  reduce  the  bare  skeleton 
of  the  sermon  to  moderate  limits,  the  entire  dis^ 
course  filling  forty- seven  pages  of  quarto,  close  print, 
double  columns,  and  occupying  about  5000  lines.  I 
tremble  to  think  of  the  time  it  must  have  taken  to 
deliver,  if  it  ever  were  delivered. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  213 

First  Sunday  in  Lent.      Lessons  from  the  Gospel. 
Matt.  iv.     And  Jesus  was  led  hy  the  Spirit  into  the 
wilderness. 
He  was  led.     Here  note — 

1.  That  God  is  our  leader  into  all  good  works. 

2.  That  He  leads,  but  does  not  constrain. 
By  the  Spirit.     Here  note — 

1.  That  in  our  Lent   fast,  we   should  follow  the 

Spirit's  leading.  Now  the  Spirit  leads  and 
guides — 

a.  By  the  voice  of  the  Church. 

/3.  By  the  voice  of  conscience. 

2.  That  our  works  are  alone  acceptable  to  God,  if 

done  through  the  grace  and  impulsion  of  the 
Spirit. 
Into  the  wilderness.    Here  note — 

1.  That  Christ  went  into  the  wilderness  to  make 

expiation  in  His  body  for  our  excesses ;  to 
endure  poverty  for  our  luxury,  want  for  our 
abundance. 

2.  That  Christ  went  into  the  wilderness  imme- 

diately after  baptism,  to  teach  us  that,  by 
baptism,  we  are  called  to  renounce  the  world, 
and  to  lead  a  life  of  mortification. 

3.  That  Christ  sets  us  an  example  of  retirement 

from  the  world  and  its  turmoil,  at  seasons. 

4.  That  Christ,  by  His  example,  has  sanctioned 

and  sanctified  the  life  of  the  eremite. 
To  he  tempted  of  the  devil.     Here  note — 

1.  That,  in  order  to  be  able  to  resist  the  devil,  we 
must  be  furnished  with  the  Holy  Spirit. 


214  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

2.  That   God  suffers  us  to  be   tempted  for  wise 
purposes — 

a.  To  bring  out  our  hidden  virtues ;  thus  He 
brought  out  the  virtue  of  faith  in  Abraham 
by  tempting  him  to  slay  his  son,  and  the 
virtue  of  patience  in  Job  by  suffering  him 
to  be  afflicted  with  loss  of  substance,  health, 
and  friends. 
(fS.  To  keep  us  vigilant.     (1  Pet.  v.  8.) 
7.  To  reward  us  finally  for  our  merit  in  resist- 
ing temptation.     (James  i.  12.) 
S.  A.  The  word  to  'tempt'  has  three  significations 
in  Holy  Scripture.     It  signifies — 
a.  To  bring  out  hidden  graces ;  and  thus  is 
used  of  God  tempting  us.     (Gen.  xxii.  1.) 
0.  To  lead  into  sin ;  and  thus  is  used  of  the 

devil  tempting  us.     (1  Cor.  vii.  5.) 
7.  To  provoke  to  anger ;  and  thus  is  used  of 
our   tempting   God.     (Ps.  xcv.  9.    Acts 
v.  9.    Heb.  i.  12.) 
B.  God  tempts   us  in  Lent,   drawing  out  of  us 
a  proof — 
a.  Whether   we   love   ourselves   better    than 

Him. 
^.  Whether  we  love  our  souls  better  than  our 

bodies. 
7.  Whether  we  love  our  present  corruptible 
bodies  better  than  our  future  incorrupti- 
ble bodies. 
S.  Whether  we  love  to  obey  the  Church  better 
than  to  follow  our  own  wills. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  215 

4.  Christ  endured  temptation  from  the  devil — 

a.  That  He  might  prove  the  force  of  every 
temptation  by  which  we  are  assailed. 

/3.  That  He  might  show  us  how  to  meet 
temptation. 

7.  That  He  might  break  the  force  of  tempta- 
tion. 

3.  That  He  might  teach  us  to  expect  tempta- 
tion. 
And  when  Se  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights. 
Note  that  Christ  fasted,  though  there  was  no  need 

for  Him  to  mortify  His  body,  in  that   His 

body  was  free  from  sin. 
Forty  days  and  forty  nights.     Here  note — 

1.  That  forty  represents  the  law  as  amplified  by 

the  Gospel,  10x4. 

a.  Forty  days  did  the  rain  descend  to  flood, 
the  world.     (Gen.  vii.  4.) 

^.  Forty  days  were  corpses  dressed  with 
aromatic  herbs  before  consigning  them 
to  the  grave.     (Gen.  1.  3.) 

7.  Forty  years  did  Israel  wander  in  the 
wilderness. 

S.  Forty  days  did  Moses  spend,  on  two  occa- 
sions, in  the  mount.  (Exod.  xxiv.  18 ; 
xxxiv.  28.) 

€.  Forty  days  did  Goliath  defy  the  armies 
of  the  living  God.     (1  Sam.  xvii.  16.) 

f.  Forty  days  did  Ezekiel  bear  the  iniqui- 
ties of  the  children  of  Israel.  (Ezek. 
iv.  6.) 


216  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

rj.  Forty  days  did  Elijah  fast  in  tlie  desert. 
(1  Kings  xix.  8.) 

6.  Forty  days   did   Nineveh   afflict  itself  in 

sackcloth  and  ashes.     (Jonah  iii.  4.) 
t.  Forty  days  was  Christ  with  His  Apostles 
after  the  resurrection.     (Acts  i.  3.) 

2.  We  keep  forty  days  of  Lenten  fast — 

a.  That  we  may  represent  in  the  Christian 
year  the  fasting  of  our  Lord,  as  we  also 
represent  His  birth,  His  death.  His 
resurrection,  and  His  ascension. 

fi.  That  we  may  a.ppease  God's  wrath  against 
us ;  making  satisfaction  to  the  best  of  our 
power  for  our  fallings  short  during  the 
rest  of  the  year. 

7.  That  we  may  practise  and  test  our  strength, 

so  as  to  be  able  to  exert  it  when  tempta- 
tion arises. 

B,  That  we  may  fulfil  Christ's  words,  TF7ien 
the  Bridegivom  is  taken  away,  then  shall  ye 
fast  in  those  days. 

e.  That  we  may  worthily  prepare  for  the 
great  solemnity  of  Easter,  suffering  with 
Christ  that  we  may  also  be  glorified 
together. 

3.  The  advantages  of  fasting  are, — 

a.  It  keeps  the  body  under,  and  brings  it 
into  subjection;  giving  us  the  habit  of 
obtaining  a  mastery  over  our  appetites. 

y8.  It  disposes  the  soul  for  prayer,  and  the 
mind  for  meditation. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  217 

7.  It    makes    reparation    for    past    offences. 

(Jonah  iii.  5 — 10.) 
S.  It  is  meritorious,  being  one  of  those  three 
works    of   which    Christ    has    said   that 
it   shall    be    openly    rewarded.      (Matt. 
vi.  18.) 
And  when  the  tempter  came  to  Sim,  he  said.    Here 
note— 

I.  a.  The   devil  is   called  tempter,  as  one  who 

builds  is  called  a  builder,  and  one  who 
paints  is  called  a  painter :  from  the  work 
upon  which  he  is  constantly  engaged. 

^.  The  devil  probably  came  in  human  form, 
as  angels  when  appearing  to  men  assumed 
human  forms.  It  seems  likely  that  Satan 
had  not  fathomed  that  mystery,  which 
angels  desired  to  look  into,  the  mystery 
of  the  Incarnation,  and  that  he  did  not 
know  that  Christ  was  Incarnate  God  : 
yet  was  he  filled  with  vague  alarm. 

7.  Christ's  temptations  came  from  without; 
they  could  not  proceed  from  within,  as 
His  nature  was  sinless. 

II.  We  also  learn — 

1.  That  solitude  is  not  freedom  from  tempta- 

tion, but  rather  a  time  for  it. 

2.  That   Satan   expends   the  whole   force   of 

temptation  on  those  who  are  leading  a 
life  of  high  vocation. 

3.  That  Satan  suits   his   temptation   to   the 

occasion. 


218  FRANCIS    COSTER. 

4.  That  if  Christ  endured  temptation,  no  man 

must  expect  to  escape  it. 

5.  That  if  Christ  suffered  Satan  to  approach 

Him  with  temptation,  He  will  not  re- 
ject us  drawing  nigh  unto  Him  in 
prayer. 

6.  That  temptations  come  to  us  in  disguise: 

the  evil  one  seldom  presenting  himself  to 
us  in  his  naked  deformity. 
If  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God,     Here  note — 

Satan  had  heard  the  voice  from  Heaven,  proclaim- 
ing Christ  to  be  the  beloved  Son  of  God ;  but  he 
may  have  considered  Him  as  a  son  in  some 
sense  as  Adam,  who  was  called  a  son  of  God. 
That  he  could  have  grasped  the  mystery  of 
the  hypostatic  union  is  impossible.  Sin  pro- 
duces blindness,  and  Satan  could  not  have  seen 
and  comprehended  God's  purposes.  Had  he 
believed  Christ  to  be  very  and  eternal  God,  it 
is  inconceivable  that  he  should  have  thought 
it  possible  to  tempt  Him  into  sin,  unless  the 
eyes  of  his  understanding  were  so  obscured 
by  his  pride  that  he  had  lost  belief  in  all 
good,  that  he  actually  could  imagine  the  God- 
head to  be  peccable,  just  as  a  prostitute  dis- 
believes in  the  purity  of  the  most  spotless 
virgin. 
If  Thou  art.     Note— 

I.  That  Satan  tempts  even  by  that  little  word  if; 
implying  a  doubt  whether  God  had  meant 
what   He   said  when   the   voice   came    from 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  219 

Heaven ;  by  this  word  if  Satan  endeavoured 
to  drive  Him.  into — 

a.  The  sin  of  pride :  by  causing  Him  to 

perform   a    miracle,    so    as    to    prove 

Himself  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  and 

thus  to  dispel  the  doubt  of  the  querist. 

^.  The  sin  of  doubt:  by  causing  Him  to 

question  the  declaration  from  Heaven ; 

for  Satan's  if  implied  that  God,  had  He 

meant  that  Christ  were  His  Son,  would 

not  have  left  Him  to  starve. 

II.  That  it  does  not  behove  us  to   question   the 

dealings  of  God's  providence,  though  He  suffer 

us   to   want,    nor   if  He   refuse  to  hear  our 

petitions.     Perhaps  we  ask  for  what  is  wrong, 

unsafe,  or  contrary  to  His  wiU. 

Command  that  these  stones  he  made  bread.    Here  note — 

1.  God  wills  to  draw  us   from  temporal  things 

to  things  spiritual,  but  the  devil  obtrudes 
carnal  matters,  to  draw  us  from  spiritual 
things  to  things  temporal. 

2.  The  temptation  of  Christ  bears  some  analogy  to 

that  of  our  first  parents.  Eve  was  tempted 
by  the  sight  of  the  fruit  which  was  good 
for  food,  Christ  by  the  cravings  of  natural 
hunger. 

3.  Satan    tempts   us  through    our    need  for  the 

necessaries  of  life.  Thus  some  steal,  others 
cheat,  others  live  unchaste  lives,  under  the 
excuse  that  they  do  it  for  a  livelihood. 

4.  If  Christ  by  a  word  can  change  stones  into  bread, 

l2 


220  FRANCIS    COSTER. 

can  He  not  cliange  bread  into  His  true  and 
sacred  Flesh  ? 

5.  Satan   tempts  Christ   to  make  more  than  was 

necessary,  these  stones,  so  that  He  might  fall 
into  the  sin  of  gluttony. 

6.  Satan  tempts   Christ   to   a  false   humility,  by 

urging  Him  to  make  bread,  the  plainest  food 
of  the  poor,  instead  of  costly  viands. 

7.  Satan  neyer  offers  what  can  satisfy.     The  pro- 

digal son  was  given  but  the  husks,  and  here 
Satan  presents  nought  but  stones. 

8.  Christ  left  Satan  still  in  doubt  as  to  whether 

He  were   the  Son  of  God  or  not:   teaching 
us  pious  reserve  on  the   subject   of  spiritual 
favours. 
And  He  answered  and  said,  It  is  written,  Man  shall  not 

live  by  bread  alone,  hut  by  every  word  that  proceedeth  out 

of  the  mouth  of  God.     Here  note — 

1.  Christ  implies  that  God's  power  is  not  limited 

to  the  means  prescribed  by  Satan.  God  can 
satisfy  His  own  sons  in  ways  of  His  own 
devising. 

2.  Christ  passes  over  the  challenge.  If  Thou  art 

the  Son  of  God,  teaching  us  that  our  spiritual 
privileges  are  not  to  be  proclaimed,  but  rather 
concealed,  that  pearls  are  not  to  be  cast  before 
swine,  nor  the  children's  bread  to  be  given  to 
dogs. 

3.  Christ's   words   imply   the   full  inspiration    of 

Scripture:  He  says,  that  man  shall  live  by 
every  word;  not  by  the  general  sense. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  221 

4.  Christ's  words  are  prophetic  :  they  indicate  the 

fact  that  He  Himself  was  to  be  the  true  food 
of  man,  He  being  the  Word  of  Grod,  He  to  be 
present  as  man's  spiritual  food  and  sustenance 
in  the  Blessed  Sacrament  of  the  Altar,  until 
the  end  of  time. 

5.  Christ   answered  in   the    words    of   Scripture, 

teaching    us    that    in    Scripture,    as    in   an 
armoury,   are   the  weapons   of  our   spiritual 
warfare.      The   sword   of  the   Spirit  is    the 
Word  of  God. 
Then  the  devil  taketh  Him  up  into  the  holy  city^  and 

setteth  Him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple ^  and  saith  unto 

Him.     Here  note — 

1.  In  the  first  temptation  we  have  Satan  coming 

to  our  Blessed  Lord  as  a  man  moved  with 
compassion  for  His  famished  condition.  In 
the  second,  he  appears  as  an  angel  of  light, 
bearing  Him  to  the  holy  city,  as  the  angel 
bore  Habakkuk  to  Babylon,  and  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord  caught  away  Philip  to  Azotus.  In 
the  third,  he  presents  himself  as  a  god  de- 
manding worship. 

2.  Christ's  great  love  is  noticeable  here,  in  suffer- 

ing Himself  to  be  borne  hither  and  thither, 
whithersoever  the  tempter  listed.  So  did  He 
afterwards  suffer  Himself  to  be  dragged  by 
the  wicked  Jews  from  the  judgment  hall  to 
%  Gabbatha  and  to  Calvary.    So  too  now  does  He 

suffer  His  sacred  body  to  be  in  the  hands  and 
mouths  of  unworthy  priests  and  lay  communi- 
L  3 


222  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

cants,  and  to  be  offered  in  the  meanest  chapel, 
and  to  be  carried  to  the  filthiest  hovel  of  the 
sick. 

3.  Temptation  to  spiritual  pride  is  seyere  to  those 

who  are  leading  a  high  spiritual  life ;  tempta- 
tion to  pride  is  common  to  all  who  are  placed 
in  high  positions,  whether  in  Church  or 
State. 

4.  We  must  not  be  scandalized  at  the  manner  in 

which  Episcopal  appointments  are  made, 
whether  by  intrigue,  or  by  State  interference ; 
Christ  was  exalted  to  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple 
by  the  devil,  and  many  a  holy  man  may  be 
elevated  to  the  dignity  of  the  Episcopacy  by 
the  vilest  of  means. 
Holy  city,  so  called  because — 

1.  In  it  was  the  temple  of  God. 

2.  Christ  was  present  in  the  city  to  sanctify  it. 

3.  It  was  a  shadow  of  the  Heavenly  Jerusalem. 

If  Thou  he  the  Son  of  God,  cast  Thyself  down.    Note — 
This  temptation  followed  the  other  as  though  de- 
duced from  it.     Satan  implied,  "  You  have  done 
well  in  showing  your  reliance  on  God ;  perfect 
your  reliance,  prove  how  complete  it  is."     Ob- 
serve also  that — 
1.  Christ's   temptation    is    not   only   to   spiritual 
pride,   but   also   to   vain- glory,    in   that   the 
prospect  was  before   Him  of  being  seen    by 
men,  supported  by  angelic  hands,  and   thus 
of  establishing  His  position  as  a  prophet,  at 
the  outstart  of  His  ministry. 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  223 

2.  Satan  not  only  makes  use  of  our  natural  wants, 

but  even  of  our  virtues,  as  means  of  tempta- 
tion ;  urging  us  to  carry  them  to  excess. 
But  virtue  consists  in  moderation,  in  neither 
doing  too  much  nor  too  little.'  Thus  liberality 
lies  between  avarice  and  prodigality,  and 
compunction  is  the  mean  betwixt  assurance 
and  despair. 

3.  Satan  has  no  power  to  cast  us  down  without 

the  consent  of  our  own  free  wills.  He  may 
urge  to  fall,  but  he  cannot  compel  man  to 
fall. 

4.  Satan  endeavours  to  cast  down  to  earth,  whilst 

Christ  is  ever  striving  to  draw  man  from 
earth,  to  lead  man  to  seek  those  things  which  are 
above.     (Col.  iii.  2.) 

5.  We  are  guilty  of  casting  ourselves  down  from 

the  pinnacle  upon  which  we  are  placed,  when- 
ever— 

a.  We  presumptuously  neglect  the  natural 
means  of  support  with  which  God  has 
supplied  us. 
/3.  We  deliberately  fall  into  sin,  with  the 
purpose  of  expiating  it  afterwards  by 
confession. 

7.  We    undertake    any   unprofitable   task. 

For  a  Christian  should  set  before  him 
nothing  upon  which  to  expend  his  time 
and  energies  but  what  is  of  utility. 

8.  We  do  evil  that  good  may  come. 

For   it  is   tvritten,  He   shall  giue  His  angels  charge 
l4 


224  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

concerning  Thee :  and  in  their  hands  they  shall  hear  Thee 
upf  lest  at  any  time  Thou^dash  Thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

I.  Satan  placed  two  dangers  before  our  Lord :  that 

of  being  dashed  to  pieces,  and  that  of  commit- 
ting a  sin. 

To  remove  the  fear  of  either  committing  the 
sin,  or  of  exposing  Himself  to  danger,  Satan 
quotes  Scripture.  He  does  this  on  two 
grounds — 

1.  To  exhibit  himself  in  a  favourable  light, 

as  though  he  were  the  angel  of  God 
sent  to  bear  Christ  up. 

2.  To  remove  the   fear   of  injury,  on  the 

authority  of  Scripture  promises. 

II.  Satan  endeavours  to  remove  the   prospect   of 

danger,  so  as  to  make  the  thought  of  commit- 
ting the  sin  less  alarming.  For  many  are 
deterred  from  crime  by  fear  of  its  conse- 
quences ;  and  if  the  fear  be  removed,  then 
they  are  ready  to  commit  the  sin. 

Eve  was  prevented  from  disobeying  God  by 
the  fear  of  the  consequences  (Gen.  iii.  3) ; 
Satan  removed  the  fear  when  he  said.  Ye 
shall  not  surely  die;  and  then  at  once  the 
woman  fell.  So  when  Satan  removes  the  fear 
of  death,  as  something  doleful  to  think  upon, 
when  we  are  in  health,  we  are  ready  enough 
to  sin.  Whereas  fear  is  salutary;  as  says 
Scripture,  To  fear  the  Lord  is  the  beginning  of 
wisdom.  Ecclus.  i.  14.  16.  Matt.  iii.  7.  Luke 
xii.  5.     Examples  of  the   fear    of  the    Lord 


FRANCIS   COSTER. 


225 


deterring  from  sin  in  Gren.  xxxix.  9.  Hist. 
Susanna  23. 

III.  Satan  quotes  Scripture  for  his  own  vile  pur- 
poses, to  screen  himself  under  the  semblance 
of  piety.  We  have  a  warning  here  against 
those  renegade  Catholic  priests  and  monks 
who  desert  the  Church  and  the  authority  of 
the  Bishops,  that  they  may  give  themselves 
up  to  heresy  and  to  unclean  living,  sheltering 
themselves  all  the  while  under  Scripture  texts 
distorted  to  serve  their  own  purposes. 

ly.  Satan  garbles  Scripture  in  quoting  it. 

1.  He  distorts  the  sense.     Christ  needed  not 

angelic  hands  to  sustain  Him,  and  there- 
fore the  passage  is  not  applicable  to  Him, 
but  refers  to  His  people.  (Acts  i.  9. 
Heb.  i.  3.) 

2.  He  omits  passages  which  did  not  suit  his 

purpose.  The  words  are,  They  shall  keep 
Thee  in  all  Thy  tvays,  i.  e.  in  the  ways  of 
God's  commandments,  not  in  breaking 
those  commands.  He  also  omits.  Thou 
shalt  go  upon  the  lion  and  adder:  the  young 
lion  and  the  dragon  shalt  Thou  tread  under 
Thy  feet y  because  those  words  referred  to 
himself  as  overcome  by  Christ. 
Y.  Note   also   how   great   is   the   dignity    of  the 

true  servant  of  God,  upon  whom,  by  God's 

command,  the  angels  wait.     Hence  we  may 

learn : — 

1.  Not  to  regard  ourselves  as  of  no  value,  for 
L  5 


226  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

we  are  so  liigMy  esteemed  of  God  that 
He  commissions  His  own  ministers  to 
attend  on  us. 

2.  To   entrust   ourselves   altogether   to   their 

guidance,  for  they  will  keep,  us  in  perfect 
peace. 

3.  To  lead  such  a  life  as  will  make  the  angels 

surround  us,  and  be  our  constant  attend- 
ants. As  bees  swarm  about  a  bed  of 
flowers,  so  will  they  gather  around  those 
who  bloom  with  Christian  graces.  Thus, 
the  Bride  is  spoken  of  as  terrible  as  an 
army  with  banners,  that  army  of  the  living 
God,  the  angelic  hosts  of  chariots  and 
horses  of  fire  surrounding  the  faithful. 
Around  the  bed  of  Solomon  were  three- 
score valiant  men.  And  angels  are  about 
our  bed  watching  and  protecting  us. 
Jesus  said  unto  himy  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God.     Note  here  that — 

I.  Christ  does  not  enter  into  a  long  discussion  with 

the  devil,  but  at  once  silences  him,  ]jnowing 
his  obduracy.  (Tit.  iii.  10.)  He  teaches  us 
thereby  not  to  parley  with  diabolic  suggestions, 
but  at  once  to  suppress  them. 

II.  Christ  answered  in  the  words  of  Scripture,  to 

show  us  how  to  meet  the  assaults  of  the  evil 
one ;  not  with  weapons  of  our  own  devising, 
but  with  those  taken  from  the  armoury  of 
God's  Word. 

III.  Christ  met  and  overcame  Satan  with  his  own 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  227 

weapon.  Thus  did  David  slay  Goliatli  with 
his  own  sword ;  thus  was  Haman  hanged  on 
his  own  gallows;  thus  did  Christ  triumph  at 
the  last  over  Satan  by  a  tree,  wherewith 
Satan  had  ruined  man. 
lY.  We  tempt  the  Lord  our  God,  whenever — 

1.  Presumptuously  we  require  Him  to  alter 

the  course  of  nature  on  our  behalf. 

2.  We  rush  needlessly  into  danger. 

3.  We  thoughtlessly  cast  ourselves  into  prayer, 

without  having  prepared  our  minds  as  to 
what  we  shall  ask.     (Eccles.  xviii.  23.) 

4.  We  persevere  in  sin  that  grace  may  abound, 

postponing  repentance,  stopping  our  ears 
to  the  calls  of  God. 

5.  We  tie  God  down  to  means,  as  the  princes 

of  Bethulia  tempted  God,  when  they  said 
that  they  would  give  up  the  city  in  five 
days.     (Judith  viii.  11.) 

6.  We  attempt  to  excogitate  the  meaning  of 

Scripture,  with  regard  to  doctrine,  for 
ourselves,  without  following  the  direction 
of  our  divinely-constituted  and  infallible 
guide,  the  Church. 

7.  We  stifle  the  promptings  of  conscience. 

8.  We  neglect  the  appointed  means  of  grace 

for  those  of  our  own  choosing. 
Again  the  devil  taketh  Sim  up  into  an  exceeding  high 
motmtainj  and  showeth  Him  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world, 
and  the  glory  of  them ;  and  St.  Luke  adds,  in  a  moment 
of  time, 

L  6 


228  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

I.  Whereas  St.  Jolm  was  shown  the  kingdoms  of 

the  world  become  the  kingdom  of  the  Lord 
and  of  His  Christ,  in  ecstatic  vision,  here  in 
vision  are  the  kingdoms  of  the  world  shown 
to  Christ  as  bowing  under  the  rule  of  Satan. 

II.  Note  also,  how  that — 

1.  Satan  exhibited  all  the  kingdoms  to  tempt 

Christ,  whilst  to  tempt  us  one  jug  of 
wine,  one  fair  woman,  one  handful  of 
gold,  are  deemed  quite  sufficient. 

2.  Satan  showed  the  glory  of  the  kingdoms  of- 

earth,  but  not  their  emptiness,  their 
troubles,  their  fleetingness. 

3.  Satan  spreads  the  net  of  ambition  before 
.  those  who  are  leading  a  life  of  high  spiri- 
tuality. Thus  the  Apostles,  who  had  for- 
saken all  for  Christ,  yet  strove  amongst 
themselves  as  to  which  of  them  should  be 
the  greatest.  (Luke  xxii.  24.  2  Kings 
xxiv.  2.) 

4.  Satan  showed  the  glories  of  earth,  not  of 

Heaven,  trying  by  this  temptation  also 
to  withdraw  Christ's  mind  from  things 
above  to  things  below. 

5.  Satan  did  not  show  the  real  kingdoms,  but 

only  a  semblance  of  them.  So  he  oflPers 
us,  not  those  things  which  will  satisfy, 
but  things  which  have  no  substance. 
(James  iv.  14.) 

Whatsoever   there  is  in  this  world  of 
glory,  of  beauty,  of  majesty,  is  but  the 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  229 

shadow  of  good  things  to  come.    Satan  tries 
to  urge  us  to  clasp  tlie  shadow,  that  we 
may  lose  the  substance. 
6.  Satan  showed  all  in  a  moment  of  time ;  we 
learn  thereby — 
a.  That  his  temptations  come  upon  us  with 

great  suddenness. 
/3.  That  the  things  he  offers  us  are  fleeting 
and  without  stability.     In  this  world 
nothing  is  enduring.     (1  Cor.  vii.  35.) 
If  Satan  gives  us  what  we  desire,  he 
removes   it    from   us    speedily.       (Ps. 
Ixxvi.  5.     Prov.  xiii.  11.) 
And  saith  unto  Him,  All  these  things  will  I  give  Thee, 
if  Thou  wilt  fall  down  and  worship  me.   Here  note — 

I.  Satan  no  longer  says,  If  Thou  he  the  Son  of  God, 
for  he  is  now  pres^ting  himself  as  God,  and 
might    therefore    be    supposed  to    know   all 
things. 
II.  Note  here  also,  that — 

1.  The  devil's  motive  in  tempting  man  is  still 

his  unconquered  pride.  StiU  does  he 
desire  to  be  equal  with  God.  But  one  of 
the  three  things  which  God  hateth  is, 
a  poor  man  that  is  proud  (Ecclus.  xxv.  2) ; 
and  who  is  poorer  than  the  devil,  yet  who 
more  proud? 

2.  All   sin   leads   to   the  worship   of   Satan, 

and  the  breach  of  the  First  Command- 
ment. For  sin  is  a  turning  from  the 
obedience  of  God  to  the  bondao:e  of  cor- 


230  FRANCIS    COSTER. 

ruption,  a  leaving  the  kingdom  of  grace 
for  the  slavery  of  sin,  an  electing  of  eternal 
death  in  the  realm  of  outer  darkness  in 
place  of  resurrection  to  eternal  life  in  the 
kingdom  of  Christ.  All  sin  leads  to  this, 
for — 

a.  Sin  must  inherit  death  and  damnation. 

/3.  Sins  lead  to  infidelity.  (Ps.  xiv.  1.  Prov. 
xviii.  3.) 

7.  They  make  gods  of  mammon  or  the  belly. 
(Tobit  iii.  3.    Phil.  iii.  19.   Eph.  v.  5.) 

3.  Satan  is  like  a  merchant  offering  wares  in 

exchange  for  souls  ;  like  the  king  of 
Sodom  who  said,  Give  me  the  souls,  and 
take  the  goods  to  thyself.  (Gen.  xiv.  21, 
Vulg.)  But  what  shall  if  profit  a  man,  if 
he  shall  gaiti  Jhe  whole  world  and  lose  his 
own  soul  ? 

4.  Satan  tells  here  three  lies. 

a.  He  claims  the  world  and  its  kingdoms  as 

his  own,  whereas  they  belong  to  God. 

The  whole  world  is  Mine,  and  all  that 

therein  is, 
yS.  He  says  that  he  gives  kingdoms  to  whom 

he  will  (St.  Luke) ;  whereas  God  says. 

By  Me  kings   reign.     (Prov.   viii.    15. 

Dan.  ii.  21.     John  xii.  31.) 
7.  He  says  that  he  has  power  to  bestow 

things,  whereas  he  has  no  such  power 

whatever. 

5.  Satan  tempts  Christ  to  fall  down  :  and  so — 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  231 

a.  His  deceptions  have  all  one  object :  the 

accomplishment  of  our  fall. 
/8.  No   man   can    worship    Satan,    without 
falling  first  most  grievously. 
6.  Satan  begins  with  small  temptations,  and  ends 
with  great  ones  ;  begins  with  a  matter  of  bread, 
and  ends  with  an  offer  of  kingdoms.      This 
teaches  us  not  to  despise  small  temptations  ; 
they   are   the    forerunners   of    greater    ones, 
the  little  foxes  which  spoil  the  vines.     (Cant.  ii. 
15.)    Give  an  inch,  and  Satan  will  take  an  ell. 
St.  Peter  began  his  fall  by  mixing  with  bad 
company  about  a  fire ;  he  ended  by  denying 
his  Master  with  oaths  and  curses. 
Then  saith  Jesus  unto  him,  Get  thee  hence,  Satan ;  for 
it  is  written,  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  and 
Him  only  shalt  thou  serve. 

I.  Hitherto  Christ  has  answered  with  gentleness, 

as  the  shafts  of  the  devil  were  aimed  simply 
at  Himself  as  man ;  but  now  that  Satan  casts 
the  arrow  of  blasphemy  against  God,  He  is 
kindled  with  zeal :  thereby  teaching  us  to 
bear  our  own  injuries  with  meekness,  but 
to  resent  with  the  flame  of  indignation  any 
affront  offered  to  the  majesty  of  God.  So 
Christ  endured  patiently  being  called  a  glut- 
tonous man  and  a  winebibber,  but  He  was 
fired  with  zeal  when  He  saw  His  Father's 
house  made  a  house  of  merchandise. 

II.  Christ  said  not.  Get  thee  behind  Me,  Satan ;  but. 

Get  thee  hence,  Satan :  for  to  Satan  there  was  left 


\ 


232  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

no  place  for  repentance,  whilst  to  Peter,  all 
that  was  needed  was  a  following  of  Jesus  in 
His  humiliations  and  sufferings. 

III.  The  weapons  wielded  by  Christ  in  His  tempta- 
tion, were,  pure  trust  in  God,  the  Word  of  God, 
and  hatred  of  the  devil. 

ly.  It  is  of  advantage  that  when  we  are  tempted, 
we  should  recognize  the  tempter  through  his 
disguise.  Temptation  loses  half  its  power 
when  it  is  recognized  as  a  temptation. 
When  Christ  showed  Satan  that  He  knew 
him,  at  once  Satan  took  to  flight.  (1  Cor. 
xi.  14.     2  Cor.  ii.  11.     1  John  iii.  4.) 

Y.  Christ  made  no  allusion  to  Satan's  offer,  but 
passed  at  once  to  the  condition,  to  show 
us  that  we  should  not  suffer  his  allure- 
ments to  find  the  smallest  lodgment  in  our 
minds. 

YI.  Christ  made  use  of  the  words.  Thou  shalt 
worship  the  Lord  thy  God,  instead  of  Thou 
shalt  fear  the  Lord  thy  God,  Deut.  vi.  13, 
from  which  He  quoted,  to  show  that  in  Him 
we  have  passed  from  the  bondage  of  fear  to 
the  liberty  of  love,  from  the  fear  of  servants 
to  the  reverence  of  children,  that  we  have 
come  to  the  perfect  love  of  the  New  Covenant, 
which  casteth  out  fear  of  the  Old  Law. 

YII.  Christ  teaches  us  that  God  demands  worship 
and  bodily  reverence,  that  reverence  of  falling 
down  on  the  knee  which  Satan  asked  for  him- 
self. 


FRANCIS   COSTER.  233 

VIII.  Christ  says  not  only,  Thou  shalt  worship  the 
Lord  thy  God,  but  also,  Him  only  shalt  thou 
serve :  to  teach  us  that  bodily  and  spiritual 
worship  is  insufficient,  unless  it  is  followed 
by  obedient  service ;  that  acts  of  devotion  must 
go  hand  in  hand  with  observance  of  the  com- 
mandments. 
Then  the  devil  leaveth  Him,  and  behold  angels  cams  and 
tninistered  unto  Him. 

Leaveth  Him,  St.  Luke  adds, /or  <^smso«  ;  for  Satan 
returned  to  Him  with  provocations  throughout 
His  life,  and  finally  afflicted  Him  on  the  cross. 
It  was  of  his  coming  to  Him  then  that  Christ 
spoke,  when  He  said.  The  Prince  of  this  world 
Cometh,  and  hath  nothing  in  Me.  (John  xiv.  30.) 
It  was  then  on  the  cross  that  Christ  endured  the 
last  assaults  of  Satan :  then,  when  He  made  that 
ofiering  of  a  sweet-smelling  savour,  which,  when 
the  evil  spirit  had  smelled,  he  fled  into  the  uttermost 
parts  of  Egypt,  and  the  angel  hound  him.  (Tobit 
viii.  3.) 
Note  here  likewise  that — 

The  devil  leaveth  Christ :  thus  does  he  also  leave 

us,  after  having  tempted  us, — 

a.  In  the  hopes  of  returning  with  seven  other 

spirits  to  take  up  a  permanent  abode  in 

man's  heart,  if  found  empty  of  the  love 

of  Jesus. 

y8.  That  he    may    plot    some    new    form  of 

temptation ;  retiring  to  gather  strength. 

We  must  use  this  time  of  freedom  for 


234  FRANCIS    COSTER. 

^  recruiting  our  forces  and  collecting  addi- 

tional arms  of  defence. 
7.  That  lie  may  throw  us  off  our  guard,  luring 
us  into  false  security  and  spiritual  sloth : 
— tempting  us  by  his  very  absence. 
Angels  came  and  ministered  unto  Sim,  when  the  tempta- 
tion was  ended.     In  like  manner  will  angels  minister 
to  us  if  we  successfully  resist. 
Observe  also  that — 

I.  This  brings  great  consolation  to  the  religious, 

who  have  pledged  themselves  to  the  angelic 
life  of  poverty,  chastity,  and  obedience. 

1.  Christ  overcame  the  temptation  of  the  flesh 

when  He  rejected  the  offered  stones. 

2.  Christ  overcame   the   temptation   to   disobe- 

dience and  self-glorification  when  He  re- 
mained on  the  pinnacle  of  the  temple  in- 
stead of  showing  a  form  of  will-tvorship  and 
voluntary  humility  by  casting  Himself  down. 
And  so  should  religious  occupy  any  position 
to  which  their  superior  appoints  them  with- 
out seeking  to  desert  it. 

3.  Christ    overcame   the  temptation  to  avarice 

when  He  rejected  the  offered  kingdoms  of 
the  world :  electing  rather,  poverty. 

II.  Angelic   consolation    follows   retirement:    the 

angels  ministered  to  Christ  in  the  wilderness. 
It  follows  victory  over  temptation  :  the  angels 
ministered  to  Christ  when  the  temptation  was 
ended. 

III.  Conflict  with  Satan  does  not  lead  to  conquest : 


FRANCIS    COSTER.  235 

Christ  took  no  spoils  by  His  triumph.  It  is 
rather  the  victory  of  successful  defence,  of 
having  lost  nothing  in  the  struggle,  not  of 
having  gained  aught. 

Now  I  ask  any  candid  person  whether  this  is  not  a 
marvellous  sermon,  abounding  in  thought,  overflowing 
with  suggestions  ?  Having  read  it,  will  he  take  up 
Scott,  or  Matthew  Henry,  or  D'Oyly  and  Mant,  and  see 
what  those  luminaries  have  to  say  on  the  passage  of 
Scripture  thus  wrought  out  by  the  Jesuit  preacher  ? 

I  have  not  the  least  doubt  as  to  the  opinion  he  will 
form  on  the  contrast. 

We  may  truly  say  of  the  majority  of  Protestant  com- 
mentators, that — Their  minds  are  blinded :  for  until  this 
day  remaineth  the  veil — upon  their  heart — in  the  reading  of 
the  Old,  or  New,  Testament.  This  is  more  applicable, 
of  course,  to  foreign  reformed  theologians — if  I  may  use 
the  term  theologian  of  those  who  are  ignorant  of  the 
first  principles  of  theology — than  to  our  own  divines. 
The  English  Church  has  always  studied  the  Fathers,  and 
has  loved  them ;  there  is  no  great  gulf  fixed  between 
us  and  the  Mediaevals,  as  there  is  between  the  Church 
and  Protestant  sectaries,  and  gleams  of  patristic  light 
are  reflected  in  the  pages  of  our  great  divines.  But 
there  are  commentators  among  us,  such  as  Scott,  who, 
scorning  the  master- expositors  of  early  and  Mediaeval 
days,  go  to  the  study  of  God's  Word  with  the  veil  of 
their  self-sufficiency  on  their  hearts,  and  become  hope- 
lessly involved  in  heresy. 

Scott  affords  us  a  melancholy  example  of  a  mistaken 


236  FRANCIS   COSTER. 

vocation.  A  commentator  on  Holy  Scripture  should  be 
a  man  of  profound  theological  learning,  and  of  great 
intellectual  power.  Scott,  a  most  amiable  and  pious 
clergyman,  was  neither  a  well-read  man,  nor  were  his 
abilities  at  all  above  par.  His  voluminous  Commentary 
is  accordingly,  though  overflowing  with  pious  senti- 
ment, of  small  theological  value. 

Protestant  clergy  commenting  on  Scripture,  amidst 
the  bustle  of  their  ministerial  avocations  and  their  con- 
nubial distractions,  without  referring  to  the  great  works 
of  early  and  Mediaeval  theologians,  whose  whole  lives 
were  spent  in  prayer  and  Scriptural  studies,  stand  the 
chance  of  blundering  as  grossly  as  would  a  farm  la- 
bourer if  he  undertook  to  excogitate,  for  himself,  a 
system  of  astronomy,  without  reference  to  any  treatises 
on  the  science  already  existing,  or  qualifying  himself 
for  the  study,  by  a  mastery  of  the  rule  of  three,  but 
regarded  with  unmitigated  contempt  all  the  disco- 
veries made  by  those  who  have  spent  their  lives  in  the 
exclusive  study  of  the  stars,  and  rejected  as  useless  all 
the  appliances  of  art  invented  to  facilitate  this  investi- 
gation. 


INDEX. 


Absurd  sermons,  18—21.  70 — 73 

Alberti,  Leander,  19 

Anecdotes 

of  F.  de  Neuilly,  11 

told  by  Balzac,  12 

of  Cambridge  preacher,  43,  44 

of  Franciscan  preacher,  44 

of  Chaussemer,  45 

of  the  Pere  Seraphim,  45 

of  Felix  trembling,  47,  48 

of  a  long  sermon,  55 

of  Jerome  de  Narni,  57 

of  St.  John  Capistran,  57 

of  a  pubUc  confession,  57 

of  a  usurer,  68 

of  the  Devil  preaching,  81 

of  Hannibal,  143 

Bequest  to  Apollo,  13 
Birds,  29—31 
Bon-mots,  15,  16 

Catholic  preachers,  23 — 25 
Classical  allusions,  13,  14.  192 
Commentators,  39.  235,  236 
Conclusions,  56 

D'Oyly  and  Mant,  40.  235 

Effects  produced  by  sermons,  56 — 

58 
Exordium,  13.  45—47 

Flowers,  81—33 
Friar-preachers,  17 

Gratian  de  Drusac,  79 


Henry  IV.,  16 
Horee  Homileticse,  54 

James  I.,  43 

Lapide,  Cornelius  a,  156 
Lapide,  Joannes  de,  83 
Lengthy  sermon,  55 
Louis  XIV.,  45 
Love  of  nature,  28  —33 

Mademoiselle  d'Entragues,  16 
Marginal  notes,  12 
Mariolatry,  27-  84 
Mystical    interpretations,    37 — 43. 
85.  124.  141.  187 

Natural  history,  84.  88.   94-97. 

139 
Nature,  love  of,  28—33 

Oblates,  161 

Open-air  sermons,  11.  17 

Parker,  Matthew,  9 
Preachers, 

Adrien  Mangotius,  59,  60 

Alfric,  10 

Ambrose,  St.,  8 

Andrew  of  Crete,  St.,  10 

Andre,  le  Pere,  15 

Andrewes,  Bp.,  60 

Ange  de  Rouen,  19 

Antonio  Vieyra,  60 

Athanasius,  St.,  7 

Augustine,  St.,  8 

Barlette,  Gabriel,  16.  19,  20 


238 


INDEX. 


Preachers  (continued) 

Barzia,  Joseph  de,  27.  33.  134 

—154.  178 
Basil,  St.,  8 
Basil  of  Seleucia,  9 
Bede,  the  Venerable,  1 0 
Biel,  Gabriel,  12.  61—68 
Borgia,  Francis,  132 
Bourdaloue,  60 
Brydaine,  Jacques,  45—47 
Csesarius  of  Aries,  St.,  9 
Camus,  Bp.  of  Belley,  14 
Capistran,  St.  John,  57 
Celles,  Peter  of,  43 
Chrysostom,  St.,  8 
Claude,  54 

Clement  of  Alexandria,  St.,  7 
Coster,  Francis,  206—236 
Cyprian,  St.,  7.  8 
Damascene,  St.  John,  10 
Deza,  Maximilian,  192-205 
Ephraem  Syrus,  St.,  7 
Eucher,  St.,  9 
Faber,   Matthias,  31.  49—54. 

100—115 
Foulque  de  Neuilly,  1 1 
Geminiano,  John,  58,  69.  145 
Gonthier,  le  Pere,  16 
Granada,  Louis  of,  12 
Gregory  the  Great,  St.,  8 
Gregory  Nazianzen,  St.,  8 
Guerin,  le  Pere,  15 
Guevara,  Antonio   de,   Bp.  of 

Mondoneda,  56 
Harphius,  Henry,  22.  158 
Harrone,  le  Pere  d',  60 
Hartung,  Philip  von,  29.  43. 

116—133 
Helmesius,  26.  135 
Imbert,  Father,  19 
Kempis,  St.  Thomas  a,  22 
Konigstein,  25 
Labat,  17 

Langton,  Stephen,  43 
Latimer,  Hugh,  60 
Leo,  St.,  8 
Macarii,  the,  7 
Maillard,  Oliver,  12,   13.  43. 

70 
Marchant,  Jacques,   40.   136. 

155—176 
Meffreth,  70.  81—99 


Preachers  {continued) 

Menot,  Michael,  21.  70 

Narni,  Jerome  de,  56 

Narni,  Philip  de,  12 

Neuilly,  Foulque  de,  11 

Origen,  7 

Osorius,  John,  33,  34.  177— 
191 

Pantsenus,  St.,  7 

Paoletti,  56 

Polygranus,  26 

Raulin,  Jean,  69—80 

Salvian,  9 

Satan,  81 

Savonarola,  12 

Segneri,  Paolo,  60.  134.  194 

Simeon,  Mr.,  54,  55 

Stella,  39,  40 

Turricremata,  John,  22 

Valerian  of  Cemele,  9 

Venerable  Bede,  10 

Vieyra,  Antonio,  60 

Wulfstan  of  York,  10 
Protestant  preachers,  23 — 25 
Proverbs,  114,  115 

Relation  between  Nature  and  Re- 
velation, 28,  29 

Scott  the  commentator,  89. 235,  236 
Scriptural  illustrations,  34.  37 
Sermons  for, — 

First  Sunday  in  Advent,  198— 

202 
Christmas  Day,  14.  25 
St.  John's  Day,  163,  164 
Sunday  after   Christmas  Day, 

148—153 
Epiphany,  70—73 
First  Sunday  after  Epiphany, 

107—110.  119  —  125 
Sexagesima,  85 — 87 
Septuagesima,  64  —  68 
Ash-Wednesday,  194—198 
First  Sunday  in  Lent,  213 — 

236 
Fourth  Sunday  in  Lent,  103— 

107 
Palm  Sunday,  111—113 
Good  Friday,  169—171 
Easter  Day,  110,  111 
Easter  Monday,  172,  173 


INDEX. 


239 


Sermons  for 

Low  Sunday,  172,  173 

Easter  Tide,  161—167 

Second  Sunday   after   Easter, 
126—131 

Ascension    Day,     173  —  176' 
186,  187 

Trinity  Sunday,  181—185 

Second  Sunday  after  Trinity, 
88—93 

Fifth    Sunday    after    Trinity, 
140—144 

Sixth    Sunday    after    Trinity, 
144—147 

Fifteenth  Sunday  after  Trinity, 
29-33 

Eighteenth  Sunday  after  Tri- 
nity, 137—140 

Twentieth   Sunday   after  Tri- 
nity, 36,  37 

Feast  of 

St.  Andrew,  198—202 
The  Purification  of  our  Lady, 

27,  28.  148—153 
The  Annunciation,  28 
St.  Peter,  1 4 
St.  James,  189—191 
Transfiguration  of  our  Lord, 

49—54 
Nativity  of  our  Lady,  28 
Name  of  Mary,  17 
Similes,  22,  23.  34.  74.  113,  114. 

139,  140.  142.  181—186 
Subjects  of  sermons,  47 — 54 
Sermon  on 

Birds,  29.  31 

Danger  of  neglecting  trifling 
faults,  137—140 

Example,  bad,  148—153 

Elect,  small  number  of,  36,  37 

Flowers,  31—33 


Subjects  of  Sermons  (continued) 
Sermon  on 

Heaven,  126—131 
Hell,  119—125 
Judgment,  198—205 
Resurrection  of  Lazarus,  186 — 

189 
Shortness  of  life,  194  -198 
Sower,  parable  of,  85 — 87 
Supper,  parable  of,  88—93 
Temptation,  213—235 
Uncertainty  of  our  future  con- 
dition, 153,  154 
Vanity  of  the  work  of  sinners, 

140  —  144 
Wounded  Side,  169-171 

Tales  related  in  sermons,  75 

Beasts  at  penance,  75 

Toad  and  bis  son,  77 

Widow  and  her  servant,  78 

Hermit  and  the  way  of  safety, 
79,80 

Mice  in  the  larder,  94,  95 

Poor  Robin,  97,  98 

Hermit  and  the  olive-tree,  98 

Priest  and  capon,  99 

Crab  and  oyster,  139 

Hannibal,  143 

Women  and  the  clew  of  wool, 
146 

Children  and  the  child  Jesus, 
209 

Priest  and  the  acolyte,  211 
Texts,  strange,  13.  43 — 45 

Unction,  84 

Viaud,  Theophilus,  15 
Violent  denunciations, 
Vitry,  Jacques  de,  1 1 


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By  Thomas  Wilson,  D.D.,  late  Lord  Bishop  of  Sodor  and 
Man. 
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Six  Short  Sermons  onSin.  Lent  Lectures 

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Popular    Objections    to    the   Book    of 

Common  Prayer  considered,  in  Four  Sermons  on  the  Sunday 
Lessons  in  Lent,  the  Commination  Service,  and  the  Athanasian 
Creed,  with  a  Preface  on  the  existing  Lectionary. 
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Sickness ;    its    Trials  and  Blessings, 

Fine  Edition.     Small  8vo.    ^s.  6a'. 
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according  to  S.  Matthew. 

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The    Dogmatic    Faith:    an    Inquiry 

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By  Edward  Garbett,  M.A.,  Incumbent  of  Christ  Church, 
Surbiton. 

Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo.     5^-. 

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New  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  large  type,  ^s.  6d, 
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lege, Cambridge. 

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Liber    Precum    Publicaru^n    Ecclesice 

Anglicanas. 

A  Gulielmo  Bright,  A.M.,  etPetro  Goldsmith  Medd,  A.M., 
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Salisbury. 

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Counsels  upon  Holiness  of  Life, 

Translated  from  the  Spanish  of  "The  Sinner's  Guide"  by 
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Apostolical  Succession  in  the  Church 

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the-Heath,  and  late  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Oxford. 
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The  Holy  Bible. 

With  Notes  and  Introductions. 

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{ 


{ 


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Edition i     i     o 

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V.  Solomon o  12     o 

Vol.  V.  IX.  Isaiah o  12     6 


Sermons  preached  before  the  Ujtiversity 

of  Oxford. 

By  Henry  Parry  Liddon,  M.A.,  Student  of  Christ  Church, 
and  Chaplain  to  the  Bishop  of  Salisbury. 

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Stones    of   the    Temple:    a  familiar 

Explanation  of  the  Fabric  and  Furniture  of  the  Church,  with 
Illustrations,  engraved  by  0.  Jewitt. 

By  the  Rev.  Walter  Field,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Godmersham. 
Post  8vo.      {Jn  preparation. ) 

A  Summary  of  Theology  and  Eccle- 

siastical    History :    a    Series   of    Original  Works   on   all  the 
principal  subjects  of  Theology  and  Ecclesiastical  History. 
By  Various  Writers. 

In  8  Vols.     Svo.     {In preparation.) 

Daniel  the  Prophet:    Nine  Lectttres 

delivered  in  the  Divinity  School  of  the  University  of  Oxford. 
With  copious  Notes. 

By  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D.,  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew, 
and  Canon  of  Christ  Church. 

Second  Edition.     Svo.     \os.  dd. 


Eleven  Addresses  during  a  Retreat  of 

the  Companions  of  the  Love  of  Jesus,  engaged  in  Perpetual 
Intercession  for  the  Conversion  of  Sinners. 

By  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D.,  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew, 
and  Canon  of  Christ  Church. 

Svo.     3J.  dd. 

Village    Sermons    on    the   Baptismal 

Service. 
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An  Introduction    to    the    Devotional 

Study  of  the  Holy  Scriptures, 

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Ninth  Edition.     Small  8vo.     2,s.  6d. 

The  Hillford  Confirmation, 

A  Tale. 
By  H.  C.  Phillpotts, 

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On    Miracles;    being    the    Bampton 

Lectures  for  1865. 

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of  Magdalen  College,  Oxford. 

Second  Edition.     8vo.     10s.  6d. 

A  Letter  to  the  Very  Rev.  y.  H.  New- 

man,  D.D.,  chiefly  on  the  Dignity  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and 
Difficulties  as  to  the  Doctrine  of  Her  Immaculate  Conception. 

By  the  Rev.  E.  B.  Pusey,  D.D,,  Regius  Professor  of  Hebrew, 
and  Canon  of  Christ  Church. 

8vo.     {/;/  the  Press. ) 

The  Sword  and  The  Keys. 

The  Civil  Power  in  its  Relations  to  The  Church ;  considered 
with  Special  Reference  to  the  Court  of  Final  Ecclesiastical 
Appeal  in  England.  With  Appendix  containing  all  Statutes 
on  which  the  jurisdiction  of  that  Tribunal  over  Spiritual  Causes 
is  Founded,  and  also,  all  Ecclesiastical  Judgments  delivered  by 
it  since  those  published  by  the  Lord  Bishop  of  London  in  1865. 
By  James  Wayland  Joyce,  M.A.,  Rector  of  Burford,  Salbp. 

8vo.     IOJ-.  dd. 


Jttessrs.  9Ribington'»  £im  ^ublitations  17 

JVarnings  of   the    Holy    Week,  &c,  ; 

being  a  Course   of  Parochial  Lectures  for  the  Week  before 
.Easter  and  the  Easter  Festivals. 

By  the  Rev.  W.  Adams,  M.A.,  late  Vicar  of  St.  Peter's-in- 
the-East,  Oxford,  and  Fellow  of  Merton  College. 
Sixth  Edition.     Small  8vo.     4r.  6d, 

Farewell  Counsels  of  a  Pastor  to  his 

Flock,  on  Topics  of  the  Day :    Nine  Sermons  preached  at 
St.  John's,  Paddington. 
By  Edward  Meyrick  Goulhurn,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Norwich. 
Third  Edition,     Small  8vo.     4r.  .      - 

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Yesterday,  To-day,  and  For  Ever :  a 

Poem  in  Twelve  Books. 

By  Edward  Henry  Bickersteth,  M.A.,  Incumbent  of  Christ 
Church,  Hampstead,  and  Chaplain  to  the  Bishop  of  Ripen. 
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The  True  Passover. 

By  Thomas  Parry,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Barbados. 
Small  Svo.     \s.  6d, 


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i8  i^essrs.  IRifafngton's  i^eto  publications 

The  Greek  Testament. 

With  Notes  and  Introductions. 

By  Chr.  Wordsworth,  D.D,,  Archdeacon  of  Westminster. 
2  Vols.     Impl.  8vo.     4/. 

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The  Acts  of  the  Deacons ;    being  a 

Course  of  Lectures,  Critical  and  Practical,  upon  the  Notices 
of  St.  Stephen  and  St.  Philip  the  Evangelist,  contained  in  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles. 

By  Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Norwich. 
Second  Edition.     Small  8vo.     ds. 


Sermons  for  Children  ;  being  Twenty- 

eight  Short  Readings,  addressed  to  the  Children  of  St.   Mar- 
garet's Home,  East  Grinstead. 

By  the  late  Rev.  J.  M.  Neale,  D.D.,  Warden  of  Sackville 
College. 

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Eight  Sermons  on  the  History  of  the 

Church  in  Ireland,  preached  in  Westminster  Abbey. 
By  Chr.  Wordsworth,  D.D. 

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The  Greek  Testament, 

With  a  Critically  revised  Text  ;    a  Digest  of  Various  Read- 
ings ;   Marginal  References  to  Verbal  and  Idiomatic  Usage  ; 
Prolegomena ;    and    a   Critical   and   Exegetical   Commentary. 
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Readers ;  containing  the  Authorized  Version,  with  a  revised 
English  Text ;  Marginal  References ;  and  a  Critical  and 
Explanatory  Commentary.  By  Henry  Alford,  D.D.,  Dean  of 
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Select    Treatises    of  S,    Athanasius, 

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20  iW:egsrs.  lafbington's  i^ctn  ^uMicatfons 

Arithmetic  for  the  Use  of  Schools ; 

with  a  numerous  collection  of  Examples. 

By  R.  D.  Beasley,  M.A.,  Head  Master  of  Grantham  Grammar 
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JW^ssrs.  Bibfngton^a  i^cto  ^ubltcations  21 

Sacred  Allegories  : 

The  Shadow  of  the  Cross— The  Distant  Hills— The  Old  Man's 
Home — The  King's  Messengers. 

By  the  Rev.  W.  Adams,  M.A.,  late  Fellow  of  Merton 
College,  Oxford.     With  Illustrations. 

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resulting  in  the  Reconciliation  of  the  Septuagint  and  Hebrew 
Computations,  and  Manetho  with  both. 

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22  Jttessrs.  laibfngton's  i^tto  ^ufclicatlons 

Hymns  and  Poems  for  the  Sick  and 

Suffering ;  in  connexion  with  the  Service  for  the  Visitation  of 
the  Sick.     Selected  from  various  Authors. 

Edited  by  T.  V.  Fosbery,  M.  A.,  Vicar  of  St.  Giles's,  Reading. 

This  Volume  contains  233  separate  pieces  ;  of  which  about 
90  are  by  writers  who  lived  prior  to  the  i8th  Century  ;  the  rest 
are  Modem,  and  some  of  these  original.  Amongst  the  names 
of  the  writers  (between  70  and  80  in  number)  occur  those  of  Sir 
J.  Beaumont,  Sir  T.  Browne,  Elizabeth  of  Bohemia,  Phineas 
Fletcher,  George  Herbert,  Dean  Hickes,  Bishop  Ken,  Francis 
Quarles,  George  Sandys,  Jeremy  Taylor,  Henry  Vaughan,  Sir 
H.  Wotton  ;  and  of  modem  writers,  Mrs.  Barrett  Browning, 
Bishop  Wilberforce,  Samuel  Taylor  Coleridge,  William  Words- 
worth, Archbishop  Trench,  Rev.  J.  Chandler,  Rev.  J.  Keble, 
Kev.  H.  F.  Lyte,  Rev.  J.  S.  Monsell,  Rev.  J.  Moultrie. 
New  and  cheaper  Edition.     Small  Svo.     y.  6d. 

Doderleins  Handbook  of  Latin  Syno- 

nymes. 

Translated  from  the  German,  by  H.  H.  Arnold,  B.  A. 
Third  Edition.     1 2mo.     4f. 


The    Church    Builder:    a    Quarterly 

Journal  of  Church  Extension  in  England  and  Wales.  Published 
in  connexion  with  "The  Incorporated  Church  Building  Society." 
Volume  for  1868. 

With  Illustrations.     Crown  8vo.     \s.  6d. 

A  Christian  View  of  Christian  His- 

tory,  from  Apostolic  to  Mediaeval  Times. 
By  John  Henry  Blunt,  M.  A. 

Crown  8vo.     7j. 


i^essrs.  laibington's  iBteU)  ^u&Ucatlons  23 


A    Practical  Introduction    to    Latin 

Prose  Composition  :  Part  I. 

By  Thomas  Kercliever  Arnold,  M.A.,  late  Rector  of  Lyndon, 
and  formerly  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 
Fourteenth  Edition.     8vo.     ds.  6d. 


A  Practical  Introduction  to  English 

Prose    Composition.      An    English    Grammar    for    Classical 
Schools ;  with  Questions,  and  a  Course  of  Exercises. 

By  Thomas  Kerchever  Arnold,  M.A.,  late  Rector  of  Lyndon, 
and  formerly  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 
Eighth  Edition.     1 2mo.     4?.  dd. 


A  Plain  and  Short  History  of  England 

for  Children  :  in  Letters  from  a  Father  to  his  Son.    With  a  Set 
of  Questions  at  the  end  of  each  Letter. 

By  George  Davys,  D.  D. ,  late  Bishop  of  Peterborough. 
New  Edition,     is.  6d. 


A  Manual  of  Confirrnation,  comprising 

—  I.  A  General  Account  of  the  Ordinance.  2.  The  Baptismal 
Vow,  and  the  English  Order  of  Confirmation,  with  Short  Notes, 
Critical  and  Devotional.  3.  Meditations  and  Prayers  on  Pas- 
sages of  Holy  Scripture,  in  connexion  with  the  Ordinance.  With 
a  Pastoral  Letter  instructing  Catechumens  how  to  prepare  them- 
selves for  their  first  Communion. 

By  Edward  Meyrick  Goulburn,  D.D.,  Dean  of  Norwich. 
Seventh  Edition.     Small  8vo.     \s.  dd. 


3Conlron,  ©ifort^,  anir  G^ambriUge 


24  JWlfSsrs.  3Rf&ington's  iScto  ^ubKcations 

Latin  via  English  ; 

being  the  Second  Part  of  Spelling  turned  Etymology. 

By  Thomas  Kerchever  Arnold,  M.A.,  late  Rector  of  Lyndon, 
and  formerly  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 
Third  Edition.     i2mo.     4?.  6d. 

A    Collection    of  English    Exercises^ 

translated  from  the  writings  of  Cicero,  for  School-boys  to  re- 
translate into  Latin. 

By  William  Ellis,  M.A.  ;  re-arranged  and  adapted  to  the 
Rules  of  the  Public  School  Latin  Primer,  by  John  T.  White, 
D.D. 

i2mo.     3J.  dd. 

A  complete  Greek  and  English  Lexicon 

for  the  Poems  of  Homer,  and  the  Homeridae  ;  illustrating  the 
domestic,  religious,  political,  and  military  condition  of  the 
Heroic  Age,  and  explaining  the  most  difficult  passages. 

By  G.  Ch.  Crusius.  Translated  from  the  German,  with 
corrections  and  additions,  by  Henry  Smith,  Professor  of 
Laaiguages  in  Marietta  College.  Revised  and  edited  by 
Thomas  Kerchevei;  Arnold,  M.A. ,  late  Rector  of  Lyndon,  and 
formerly  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge. 
Third  Edition.     1 2mo.     qj. 

A    copious    Phraseological    English- 

Greek  Lexicon  ;  founded  on  a  work  prepared  by  J.  W.  Fraders- 
dorff,  Ph.  Dr.,  late  Professor  of  Modern  Languages,  Queen's 
College,  Belfast. 

Revised,  Enlarged,  and  Improved  by  the  late  Thomas  Ker- 
chever  Arnold,    M.A.,    formerly  Fellow  of  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge,  and  Henry  Browne,  M.A.,  Vicar  of  Pevensey,  and 
■  Prebendary  of  Chichester. 

Foiirth  Edition.    Svo.     2\s. 


IConUon,  ©xfor^,  antf  ©ambriUge 


i^easrs.  IRibington's  ^tto  ^ulilications  25 

JVBW  PAMPHLETS 
ON  THE  IRISH  CHURCH  aUESTION. 

BY  THE  BISHOP  OF  OSSORY. 

The  Case  of  the  Established  Church  in  Ireland,     By 

James  Thomas  O'Brien,  D.D.,  Bishop  of  Ossory,  Ferns,  and  Leighliu. 
Third  Edition.     With  Appendix.     8vo.      -zs.Sd. 

The  Appendix  may  also  be  had  separately,  is. 

BY  LORD  REDESDALE. 

Speech  in  the  House  of  Lords  on  Friday,  i^th  Julyy 

1868,  on  moving  for  a  copy  of  the  Coronation  Oath;  with  a  Reply  to  an 
Article  in  the  "Saturday  Review."     8vo.     6</. 

BY  JOHN  JEBB,  D.D. 

The  Rights   of  the  Irish  Branch  of  the    United 

Church  of  England  and  Ireland  Considered  on  Fundamental  Principles, 
Human  and  Divine.  By  John  Jebb,  D.  D. ,  Rector  of  Peterstow,  Prebendary 
and  Prselector  of  Hereford  Cathedral,  and  one  of  the  Proctors  for  the  Clergy 
of  Hereford  in  the  Convocation  of  Canterbury.     Second  Edition.     Svo.     xs. 

BY  THE  REV.  LORD  O'NEILL  AND  THE  REV.  DR.  LEE. 

The  Church  in  Ireland,     i.   The  Difficulties  of  her 

Present  Position  Considered.  By  the  Rev.  Lord  O'Neill,  of  Shane's 
Castle,  formerly  Prebendary  of  S.  Michael's,  Dublin.  II.  The  Duty  of 
Churchmen  in  England  and  Ireland  at  this  Crisis  towards  Her.  By  the 
Rev.  Alfred  T.  Lee,  LL.D.,  Rector  of  Ahoghill,  and  Chaplain  to  his 
Excellency  the  Lord  Lieutenant.  Two  Sermons,  lately  preached  in  the 
Parish  Church  of  Ahoghill,  Diocese  of  Connor.    Second  Edition.    Svo.    €d. 

BY  THE  REV.  G.  R.  GLEIG. 

Letters  on  the  Irish  Question.      By  G.  R.   Gleig, 

M.A.,  F.R.G.S.,  &c.,  Chaplain-General  to  the  Forces,  and  Prebendary  of  St. 
Paul's.     Republished  from  the  "Times"  and  the  "Standard."     Svo.     is. 


The  Irish    Difficulty.      i.    The    Church    Question. 

2.  The  Land  Question.  3.  The  Education  Question.  Being  a  Review  of  the 
Debate  in  the  House  of  Commons  on  Mr.  Maguire's  Motion  (March  10, 
1868).     By  an  Observer.    Fifth  Edition.     Svo.     6d. 

The  Church,  the  Land,  and  the  Constitution ;  or, 

Mr.  Gladstone  in  the  newly-reformed  Parliament.  Second  Edition.  8vo.  dd. 


IConiron,  Sxforti,  anlf  CambriXfge 


26  JWtssrs.  Bibington's  iStto  \BubUcations 

NE  W  PAMPHLETS. 

BY  THE  (LATE)  ARCHBISHOP  OF  CANTERBURY. 

A  Charge,  intended  for  Delivery  to  the  Clergy  of  the 

Diocese  of  Canterbury,  at  his  Second  Visitation,  1868.  By  the  Most 
Reverend  Charles  Thomas,  late  Lord  Archbishop  of  Canterbury.    Svo. 

BY  THE  BISHOP  OF  WORCESTER. 

A  Charge  delivered  to  the  Clergy  and  Churchwardens 

of  the  Diocese  of  Worcester.  By  Henry,  Lord  Bishop  of  Worcester, 
at  his  Visitation  in  June,  1868.     Svo.     \s.  td. 

BY  THE  BISHOP  OF  PERTH. 

Christ's  Spiritual  Presence  with  His    Worshippers 

the  True  Glory  of  His  House  :  a  Sermon  preached  in  the  New  Parish 
Church  of  Stroud,  Gloucestershire,  on  Wednesday,  August  5,  1868  (the 
Morrow  of  the  Consecration).  By  the  Right  Rev.  Matthew  Hale,  D.D., 
Bishop  of  Perth.     i2mo.     3^. 

BY  ARCHDEACON  WORDSWORTH. 

On  the  Proposed  Council  at  Rome :  an  Address,  at 

the  Ordination  of  Priests  and  Deacons  in  the  Diocese  of  Oxford,  Sept.  20, 
1868.  By  Chr.  Wordsworth,  D.D.,  Canon  of  Westminster,  and  Arch- 
deacon.   Svo.     xs. 

Sacred  Music:   a   Sermon  preached  at  the  Anni- 

versary  of  the  Choral  Association  of  the  Diocese  of  Llandaff,  in  the  Cathe- 
dral Church  of  Llandaff,  Sept.  2,  1868.  By  Chr.  Wordsworth,  D.D., 
Archdeacon  of  Westminster.     Svo.     6d. 

BY  ARCHDEACON  BICKERSTETH. 

A   Charge  delivered  at  his  Tenth  Visitation  of  the 

Archdeaconry  of  Buckingham,  in  June,  1868.  By  Edward  Bickersteth, 
D.D.,  Prolocutor  of  the  Lower  House  of  Convocation  of  the  Province 
of  Canterbury,  Archdeacon  of  Buckingham,  Honorary  Canon  of  Christ 
Church,  and  Vicar  of  Aylesbury.     Svo.     u. 

BY  THE  REV.  F.  PIGOU. 

The  Power  of   Unostentatious  Piety:    a    Sermon 

preached  in  St.  Philip's  Chapel,  Regent  Street,  Sunday,  June  14,  and  before 
the  Queen  and  Royal  Family,  in  the  Private  Chapel,  Windsor  Castle, 
Sunday,  June  21.  By  Francis  Pigou,  M.A.,  F.R.G.S.,  Incumbent  of 
St.  Philip's.     Svo.     dd. 

BY  THE  REV.  C.  CROWDEN,  M.A. 

School  Life;  its  Duties  and  Responsibilities.     Two 

Sermons,  preached  to  the  Boys  of  Queen  Elizabeth's  Grammar  School, 
Cranbrook,  Kent.  By  the  Rev.  C.  Crowden,  M.A.,  Head  Master.  Small 
Svo.     IS. 

IContion,  ©xfortf,  antr  CDambriUge 


CATENA    CLASSICORUM, 

A  SERIES  OF  CLASSICAL  AUTHORS, 

EDITED     BY     MEMBERS    OF     BOTH     UNIVERSITIES     UNDER 
THE    DIRECTION    OF 

THE  REV.  ARTHUR  HOLMES,  M.A. 

FELLOW  AND   LECTURER   OF   CLARE  COLLEGE,  CAMBRIDGE,   LECTURER  AND  LATE 
FELLOW   OF   ST.    JOHn's   COLLEGE, 

THE  REV.  CHARLES  BIGG,  M.A. 

LATE   SENIOR   STUDENT    AND   TUTOR   OF  CHRIST   CHURCH,    OXFORD,   SECOND 
CLASSICAL   MASTER   OF   CHELTENHAM   COLLEGE. 

The  following  Parts  have  been  already  published:— 
SOPHOCLIS    TRAGOEDIAE, 
Edited  by  R,  C.  Jebb,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Assistant  Tutor  of  Trinity 
College,  Cambridge. 
[Part  I.    The  Electra.    3s.  6d.       Part  II.  The  Ajax.     ss.  bd. 

JUVENALIS   SATIRAE, 
Edited  by  G.  A,  SiMCOX,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Classical  Lecturer  of 
Queen's  College,  Oxford.  [Thirteen  Satires.    3s.  6d. 

THUCYDIDIS   HISTORIA, 
Edited  by  Charles  Bigg,  M.A.  late  Senior  Student  and  Tutor  of 
Christ  Church,  Oxford.     Second  Classical  Master  of  Chelten- 
ham College. 

[Vol.  I.  Books  I.  and  II.  with  Introductions.  6s. 

DEMOSTHENIS   ORATIONES    PUBLICAE, 
Edited  by  G.  H.  Heslop,  M.A.  late  Fellow  and  Assistant  Tutor 
of  Queen's  College,  Oxford.    Head  Master  of  St.  Bees. 

[Parts  I.  &  II.     The  Olynthiacs  and  the  Philippics.     4?.  6d. 

ARISTOPHANIS    COMOEDIAE, 
Edited  by  W.  C.   Green,   M.A.  late  Fellow  of  King's  College, 
Cambridge.     Classical  Lecturer  at  Queens'  College. 

[Part  I.     The  Acharnians  and  the  Knights.     4-J'. 
[Part  II.     The  Clouds.     3s.  dd. 
[Part  III.     The  Wasps,     y.  6d. 

ISOCRATIS  ORATIONES, 
Edited  by  John  Edwin   Sandys,  B.A.   Fellow  and  Lecturer  of 
St.  John's  College,  and  Lecturer  at  Jesus  College,  Cambridge. 
[Part  I.     Ad  Demonicum  et  Panegyricus.     ^.  dd. 
A  PERSII  FLACCI   SATIRARUM  LIBER, 
Edited  by  A.   Pretor,    M.A.,  of  Trinity   College,    Cambridge, 
Classical  Lecturer  of  Trinity  Hall.     ^s.  6d. 


28 


JHessrg.  laiblngton'a  ^tto  ^ubltcations 


CA  TEN  A  CLA  SSICOR  UM— Opinions  of  the  Press. 


Mr.  JebVs  Sophocles. 


"  Of  Mr.  Jebb's  scholarly  edition  of 
the  'Electra'  of  Sophocles  we  cannot 
speak  too  highly.  The  whole  Play 
bears  evidence  of  the  taste,  learning, 
and  fine  scholarship  of  its  able  editor. 
Illustrations  drawn  from  the  literature 
of  the  Continent  as  well  as  of  England, 
and  the  researches  of  the  highest  clas- 
sical authorities  are  embodied  in  the 
notes,  which  are  brief,  clear,  and 
always  to  the  point." — Lofidon  Re- 
view, March  i6,  1867. 

"The  editorship  of  the  work  before 
us  is  of  a  very  high  order,  displaying 
at  once  ripe  scholarship,  sound  judg- 
ment, and  conscientious  care.  An  ex- 
cellent Introduction  gives  an  account 
of  the  various  forms  assumed  in  Greek 
literature  by  the  legend  upon  which 
'  The  Electra '  is  founded,  and  institutes 
a  comparison  between  it  and  the 
*  Choephorae '  of  .i^schylus.  The  text 
is  mainly  that  of  Dindorf  In  the  notes, 
•which  are  admirable  in  every  respect, 
is  to  be  found  exactly  what  is  wanted, 
and  yet  they  rather  suggest  and  direct 
further  inquiry  than  supersede  exertion 
on  the  part  of  the  student." — Athe- 
nceum. 

"The  Introduction  proves  that  Mr. 
Jebb  is  something  more  than  a  mere 
scholar,  —  a  man  of  real  taste  and 
feeling.  His  criticism  upon  Schlegel's 
remarks  on  the  Electra  are,  we  believe, 
new,  and  certainly  just.  As  we  have 
often  had  occasion  to  say  in  this  Review, 
it  is  impossible  to  pass  any  reliable 
criticism  upon  school-bcoks  until  they 
have  been  tested  by  experience.  The 
notes,  however,  in  this  case  appear  to 
be  clear  and  sensible,  and  direct  at- 
tention to  the  points  where  attention  is 
most  needed. " —  Westminster  Revietu. 

"We  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  in  style  and  manner  Mr.  Jebb's 
notes  are  admirably  suited  for   their 


purpose.  The  explanations  of  gram- 
matical points  are  singularly  lucid,  the 
parallel  passages  generally  well  chosen, 
the  translations  bright  and  graceful, 
the  analysis  of  arguments  terse  and 
luminous.  Mr.  Jebb  has  clearly  shown 
that  he  possesses  some  of  the  quahties 
most  essential  for  a  commentator." — 
Spectator 

"The  notes  appear  to  us  exactly 
suited  to  assist  boys  of  the  Upper 
Forms  at  Schools,  and  University 
students  ;    they    give    sufficient    help 

without  over-doing  explanations 

His  critical  remarks  show  acute  and 
exact  scholarship,  and  a  very  useful 
addition  to  ordinary  notes  is  the  scheme 
of  metres  in  the  choruses." — Guardian. 

"If,  as  we  are  fain  to  believe,  the 
editors  of  the  Catena  Classicorum 
have  got  together  such  a  pick  of 
scholars  as  have  no  need  to  play  their 
best  card  first,  there  is  a  bright  promise 
of  success  to  their  series  in  the  first 
sample  of  it  which  has  come  to  hand 
—Mr.  Jebb's  '  Electra.'  We  have  seen 
it  suggested  that  it  is  unsafe  to  pro- 
nounce on  the  merits  of  a  Greek  Play 
edited  for  educational  purposes  until  it 
has  been  tested  in  the  hands  of  pupils 
and  tutors.  But  our  examination  of  the 
instalment  of,  we  hope,  a  complete 
'  Sophocles,'  which  Mr.  Jebb  has  put 
forth,  has  assured .  us  that  this  is  a 
needless  suspension  of  judgment,  and 
prompted  us  to  commit  the  justifiable 
rashness  of  pronouncing  upon  its  con- 
tents, and  of  asserting  after  due  perusal 
that  it  is  calculated  to  be  admirably 
serviceable  to  every  class  of  scholars 
and  learners.  And  this  assertion  is 
based  upon  the  fact  that  it  is  a  by  no 
means  one-sided  edition,  and  that  it 
looks  as  with  the  hundred  eyes  of 
Argus,  here,  there,  and  everywhere,  to 
keep  the  reader  from  straying.     In  a 


IContion,  ^iforXf,  antr  Cambridge 


JW:essrs.  Bi&ington'a  i^eb)  ^uftUcatfons 


29 


CA  TEN  A  CLA  SSICOR  UM— Opinions  of  the  Press. 


concise  and  succinct  style  of  English 
annotation,  forming  the  best  substitute 
for  the  time-honoured  Latin  notes  which 
had  so  much  to  do  with  making  good 
scholars  in  days  of  yore,  Mr.  Jebb 
keeps  a  steady  eye  for  all  questions  of 
grammar,  construction,  scholarship,  and 
philology,  and  handles  these  as  they 
arise  with  a  helpful  and  sufficient  pre- 
cision. In  matters  of  grammar  and 
syntax  his  practice  for  the  most  part  is 
to  refer  his  reader  to  the  proper  section 
of  Madvig's  'Manual  of  Greek  Syn- 
tax :'  nor  does  he  ever  waste  space 
and  time  in  explaining  a  construction, 
unless  it  be  such  an  one  as  is  not  satis- 
factorily dealt  with  in  the  grammars 
of  Madvig  or  Jelf  Experience  as  a 
pupil  and  a  teacher  has  probably  taught 
him  the  value  of  the  wholesome  task 
of  hunting  out  a  grammar  reference 
for  oneself,  instead  of  finding  it,  handy 
for  slurring  over,  amidst  the  hundred 
and  one  pieces  of  information  in  a 
voluminous  foot-note.  But  whenever 
there  occurs  any  peculiarity  ■  of  con- 
struction, which   is  hard   to  reconcile 


to  the  accepted  usage,  it  is  Mr.  Jebb's 
general  practice  to  be  ready  at  hand 
with  manful  assistance."— Cowi'^wz/t?- 
rary  Review. 

"Mr.  Jebb  has  produced  a  work 
which  will  be  read  with  interest  and 
profit  by  the  most  advanced  scholar, 
as  it  contains,  in  a  compact  form,  not 
only  a  careful  summary  of  the  labours 
of  preceding  editors,  but  also  many 
acute  and  ingenious  original  remarks. 
We  do  not  know  whether  the  matter 
or  the  manner  of  this  excellent  com- 
mentary is  deserving  of  the  higher 
praise  :  the  skill  with  which  Mr.  Jebb 
has  avoided,  on  the  one  hand,  the 
wearisome  prolixity  of  the  Germans, 
and  on  the  other  the  jejune  brevity  of 
the  Porsonian  critics,  or  the  versatility 
which  has  enabled  him  in  turn  to 
elucidate  the  plots,  to  explain  the 
verbal  difficulties,  and  to  illustrate  the 
idioms  of  his  author.  All  this,  by  a 
studious  economy  of  space  and  a  re- 
markable precision  of  expression,  he 
has  done  for  the  'Ajax'  in  a  volume 
of  some  200  pages," — Athenceurn. 


.  Mr.  Simcox^ s  Juvenal. 


"  Of  Mr.  Simcox's  '  Juvenal '  we  can 
only  speak  in  terms  of  the  highest  com- 
mendation, as  a  simple,  unpretending 
work,  admirably  adapted  to  the  wants 
of  the  school-boy  or  of  a  college  pass- 
man. It  is  clear,  concise,  and  scru- 
pulously honest  in  shirking  no  real 
difficulty.  The  pointed  epigrammatic 
hits  of  the  satirist  are  every  where  well 
brought  out,  and  the  notes  really  are 
what  they  profess  to  be,  explanatory  in 
the  best  sense  of  the  term." — London 
Review. 

"  This  is  a  link  in  the  Catena  Classt- 
corum  to  which  the  attention  of  our 
readers  has  been  more  than  once  di- 
rected as  a  good  Series  of  Classical 
works  for  School  and  College  purposes. 
The  Introduction  is  a  very  comprehen- 
sive and  able  account  of  Juvenal,  his 


satires,  and  the  manuscripts."— yi^^- 
nceutn. 

"This  is  a  very  original  and  en- 
joyable Edition  of  one  of  our  favourite 
classics."^ — Spectator. 

"  Every  class  of  readers— those  who 
use  Mr.  Simcox  as  their  sole  inter- 
preter, and  those  who  supplement 
larger  editions  by  his  concise  matter 
— will  alike  find  interest  and  careful 
research  in  his  able  Preface.  This 
indeed  we  should  call  the  great  feature 
of  his  book.  The  three  facts  which 
sum  up  Juvenal's  history  so  far  as  we 
know  it  are  soon  despatched  ;  but  the 
internal  evidence  both  as  to  the  dates 
of  his  writing  and  publishing  his  Sa- 
tires, and  as  to  his  character  as  a 
writer,  occupy  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
pages,  which  will  repay  methodical 
study."  —  Churckfnan. 


ILontfon,  ©xfortj,  antr  ^Tamfiri^ge 


30 


i^cssrs.  IRiiJington'a  i^^to  ^tt{)licat(ons 


CATENA  CLASSICORUM— Opinions  of  the  Press, 


Mr.  Bigg's  Thucydides. 


"  Mr.  Bigg  in  his  '  Thucydides ' 
prefixes  an  analysis  to  each  book,  and 
an  admirable  introduction  to  the  whole 
work,  containing  full  information  as  to 
all  that  is  known  or  related  of  Thucy- 
dides, and  the  date  at  which  he  wrote, 
followed  by  a  very  masterly  critique  on 
some  of  his  characteristics  as  a  writer." 
— A  thencputn. 

"  While  disclaiming  absolute  ori- 
ginality in  his  book,  Mr.  Bigg  has  so 
thoroughly  digested  the  works  of  so 
many  eminent  predecessors  in  the  same 
field,  and  is  evidently  on  terms  of  such 
intimacy  with  his  author  as  perforce 
to  inspire  confidence.  A  well-pondered 
and  well-written  introduction  has  formed 
a  part  of  each  link  in  the  '  Catena ' 
hitherto  published,  and  Mr.  Bigg,  in 
addition  to  a  general  introduction, 
has  given  us  an  essay  on  '  Some  Cha- 
racteristics of  Thucydides,'  which  no 
one  can  read  without  being  impressed 


with  the  learning  and  judgment  brought 
to  bear  on  the  subject." — Standard. 

"  We  need  hardly  say  that  these 
books  are  carefully  edited ;  the  reputa- 
tion of  the  editor  is  an  assurance  on 
this  point.  If  the  rest  of  the  history  is 
edited  with  equal  care,  it  must  become 
the  standard  book  for  school  and 
college  purposes. " — John  Bull. 

"  Mr.  Bigg  first  discusses  the  facts 
of  the  life  of  Thucydides,  then  passes 
to  an  examination  into  the  date  at 
which  Thucydides  wrote  ;  and  in  the 
third  section  expatiates  on  some  cha- 
racteristics of  Thucydides.  These 
essays  are  remarkably  well  written, 
are  judicious  in  their  opinions,  and 
are  calculated  to  give  the  student  much 
insight  into  the  work  of  Thucydides, 
and  its  relation  to  his  own  times,  and  to 
the  works  of  subsequent  historians." — 
Musewn. 


Mr.  Heslofs  Demosthenes, 


"  The  usual  introduction  has  in  this 
case  been  dispensed  with.  The  reader 
is  referred  to  the  works  of  Grote  and 
Thirlwall  for  information  on  such 
points  of  history  as  arise  out  of  these 
famous  orations,  and  on  points  of 
critical  scholarship  to  '  Madvig's 
Grammar,'  where  that  is  available, 
while  copious  acknowledgments  are 
made  to  those  commentators  on  whose 
works  Mr.  Heslop  has  based  his  own. 
Mr.  Heslop's  editions  are,  however, 
no  mere  compilations.  That  the  points 
required  in  an  oratorical  style  differ 
materially  from  those  in  an  historical 
style,  will  scarcely  be  questioned,  and 
accordingly  we  find  that  Mr.  Heslop 
has  given  special  care  to  those  cha- 
racteristics of  style  as  well  as  of  lan- 
guage, which  constitute  Demosthenes 
the  very  first  of  classic  orators."— 
Standard. 


"We  must  call  attention  to  New 
Editions  of  various  classics,  in  the 
excellent  '  Catena  Classicorum '  series. 
The  reputation  and  high  standing  of  the 
editors  are  the  best  guarantees  for  the 
accuracy  and  scholarship  of  the  notes." 
—  Westminster  Review. 

"  The  notes  are  thoroughly  good,  so 
far  as  they  go.  Mr.  Heslop  has  care- 
fully digested  the  best  foreign  com- 
mentaries, and  his  notes  are  for  the  most 
part  judicious  extracts  from  them."— 
Mjiseum. 

"The  annotations  are  scarcely  less  to 
be  commended  for  the  exclusion  of 
superfluous  matter  than  for  the  excel- 
lence of  what  is  supplied.  Well-known 
works  are  not  quoted,  but  simply  re- 
ferred to,  and  information  which  ought 
to  have  been  previously  acquired  is 
omitted." — A  thettcBum. 


mon^on,  ^xforU,  an^  ©ambriXfge 


iWeasrs.  IRibinQton's  i^eto  publications 


.^« 


CA  TEN  A  CLA  SSICOR  UM— Opinions  of  the  Press, 
Mr.  GreerHs  Aristophanes. 


"The  Editors  of  this  Series  have 
undertaken  the  task  of  issuing  texts 
of  all  the  authors  commonly  read,  and 
illustrating  them  with  an  English  Com- 
mentary, compendious  as  well  as  clear. 
If  the  future  volumes  fulfil  the  promise 
of  the  Prospectus  as  well  as  those 
already  published,  the  result  will  be 
a  verj'  valuable  work.  The  excellence 
of  the  print,  and  the  care  and  pains 
bestowed  upon  the  general  getting  up, 
form  a  marked  contrast  to  the  school- 
books  of  our  own  day.  Who  does 
not  remember  the  miserable  German 
editions  of  classical  authors  in  paper 
covers,  execrably  printed  on  detestable 
paper,  which  were  thought  amply  good 
enough  for  the  school-boys  of  the  last 
generation  ?  A  greater  contrast  to 
these  can  hardly  be  imagined  than  is 
presented  by  the  Catena  Classicoruin. 
Nor  is  the  improvement  only  external : 
the  careful  revision  of  the  text,  and 
the  notes,  not  too  lengthy  and  con- 
fused, but  well  and  judiciously  selected, 
which  are  to  be  found  in  every  page, 
add  considerably  to  the  value  of  this 
Edition,  which  we  may  safely  predict 
will  soon  be  an  established  favourite, 
not  only  among  Schoolmasters,  but 
at  the  Universities.  The  volume  before 
us  contains  the  first  part  of  an  Edition 
of  Aristophanes  which  comprises  the 
Acharnians  and  the  Knights,  the  one 
first  in  order,  and  the  other  the  most 
famous  of  the  plays  of  the  great  Athe- 
nian Satirist." — Churchman. 

"The  utmost  care  has  been  taken 
with  this  Edition  of  the  most  sarcastic 
and  clever  of  the  old  Greek  dramatists, 
facilitating  the  means  of  understanding 
both  the  text  and  intention  of  that 
biting  sarcasm  which  will  never  lose 
either  point  or  interest,  and  is  as  well 
adapted  to  the  present  age  as  it  was 
to  the  times  when  first  put  forward." — 
BelVs  Weekly  Messenger. 

"The  advantages  conferred  on  the 
learner  by  these  compendious  aids  can 
only  be  properly  estimated  by  those 
who  had  experience  of  the  mode  of 
study  years  ago.  The  translated  pas- 
sages and  the  notes,  while   sufficient 


to  assist  the  willing  learner,  cannot  be 
regarded  in  any  sense  as  a  cram."— 
Clerical  Journal. 

"Mr.  Green  has  discharged  his  part 
of  the  work  with  uncommon  skill  and 
ability.  The  notes  show  a  thorough 
study  of  the  two  Plays,  an  independent 
judgment  in  the  interpretation  of  the 
poet,  and  a  wealth  of  illustration,  from 
which  the  Editor  draws  whenever  it  is 
necessary. " — Museum. 

"Mr.  Green  presumes  the  existence 
of  a  fair  amount  of  scholarship  in  all 
who  read  Aristophanes,  as  a  study  of 
his  works  generally  succeeds  to  some 
considerable  knowledge  of  the  tragic 
poets.  The  notes  he  has  appended  are 
therefore  brief,  perhaps  a  little  too  brief. 
We  should  say  the  tendency  of  most 
modern  editors  is  rather  the  other  way  ; 
but  Mr.  Green  no  doubt  knows  the 
class  for  which  he  writes,  and  has  been 
careful  to  supply  their  wants." — Spec- 
tator. 

"Mr.  Green's  admirable  Introduction 
to  'The  Clouds'  of  the  celebrated 
comic  poet  deserves  a  careful  perusal, 
as  it  contains  an  accurate  analysis  and 
many  original  comments  on  this  re- 
markable play.  The  text  is  prefaced 
by  a  table  of  readings  of  Dindorf  and 
Meineke,  which  will  be  of  great  service 
to  students  who  wish  to  indulge  in 
verbal  criticism.  The  notes  are  copious 
and  lucid,  and  the  volume  will  be  found 
useful  for  school  and  college  purposes, 
and  admirably  adapted  for  private 
reading. " — Examiner. 

"Mr.  Green  furnishes  an  excellent 
Introduction  to  'The  Clouds'  of 
Aristophanes,  explaining  the  circum- 
stances under  which  it  was  produced, 
and  ably  discussing  the  probable  object 
of  the  author  in  writing  it,  which  he 
considers  to  have  been  to  put  down 
the  Sophists,  a  class  whom  Aristo- 
phanes thought  dangerous  to  the  morals 
of  the  community,  and  therefore  ca- 
ricatured in  the  person  of  Socrates, — 
not  unnaturally,  though  irreverently, 
choosing  him  as  their  representative." 
— A  thencEum. 


IContfon,  ^xfortr,  antJ  €^amliriUge 


»  Jttesgrs.  ^(bington's  i^tJu  publications 

CATENA  CLASSICORUM. 
The  following  Parts  are  in  course  of  preparation:— 


Edited  by  Alfred  Barry,  D.D.  late  Fellow  of  Trinity  College, 
Cambridge,  Principal  of  King's  College,  London. 

DEMOSTHENIS    ORATIONES    PUBLICAE, 
Edited  by  G.  H.  Heslop,  M.A.  late  Fellow  and  Assistant  Tutor 
of  Queen's  College,  Oxford.     Head  Master  of  St.  Bees. 

[Part  III.    De  Falsa  Legatipne. 

MARTIALIS   EPIGRAMMATA, 
Edited  by  George  Butler,  M.A.  Principal  of  Liverpool  College  ; 
late  Fellow  of  Exeter  College,  Oxford. 

DEMOSTHENIS   ORATIONES   PRIVATAE, 

Edited  by  Arthur  Holmes,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Lecturer  of  Clare 
College,  Cambridge.  [Part  I.     De  Corona. 

HOMERI   ILIAS, 

Edited  by  S.  H.  Reynolds,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Tutor  of  Brasenose 

.      College,  Oxford.  [Vol.  I.  Books  I.  to  XII. 


Edited  by  J,  M.  Marshall,  M.A.  Fellow  and  late  Lecturer  of 
Brasenose  College,  Oxford.  One  of  the  Masters  in  Clifton 
College. 

TERENTI    COMOEDIAE, 

Edited  by  T.  L.  P apillon,  M.  A.  Fellow  and  Classical  Lecturer  of 
Merton  College,  Oxford. 

HERODOTI   HISTORIA, 
Edited  by  H.   G.   Woods,   M.A.    Fellow  and  Tutor  of  Trinity 
College,  Oxford. 

TACITI    HISTORIAE, 
Edited  by  W.  H.  Simcox,  M.A.  Fellow  and  Lecturer  of  Queen's 
College,  Oxford. 

4.^ 


y\ 


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